


Paws for Love

by BurbeeGirly



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: #LITG, #season3, #slowburn, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:14:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26851264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurbeeGirly/pseuds/BurbeeGirly
Summary: Love Island the Game Season 3 AU Fanfic.  I have changed the careers of the islanders to fit my story but their personalities haven't changed, much ;)  You may see cameos from previous LITG characters later in the story.Beth (MC) meets her best friend Genevieve at University where Gen was a foreign exchange student.  The two have grown close and when Beth quits her job, Genevieve invites her to London.   Beth loves the area and has met some of Gen's friends, one being a sexy musician who tutors students during the day and plays at the local pub on the weekends.
Relationships: Nicky/Main Character (Love Island)
Kudos: 7





	1. University Days

**Author's Note:**

> Love Island the Game Season 3 AU Fanfic. I have changed the careers of the islanders to fit my story but their personalities haven't changed, much ;) You may see cameos from previous LITG characters later in the story. 
> 
> Beth (MC) meets her best friend Genevieve at University where Gen was a foreign exchange student. The two have grown close and when Beth quits her job, Genevieve invites her to London. Beth loves the area and has met some of Gen's friends, one being a sexy musician who tutors students during the day and plays at the local pub on the weekends.

**_August 2014 - University of Wisconsin, Madison_ **

It was a warm sunny August Sunday afternoon, and Beth, in her final year of graduate studies at University of Wisconsin, was anxiously waiting for her new roommate.

Genevieve Njoku, an exchange student from England, would be arriving any moment and Beth was excited to finally meet her in person. Beth felt an instant friendship when Genevieve contacted her enquiring about the extra bedroom for rent. Since then, they spoke quite often over Facetime and texts.

Like Beth, Genevieve was studying veterinary sciences, and understood the pressures of attending classes, the constant studying and virtually, no free time. Beth told her that absolutely no parties were to be held at the apartment, she'd been burned by her last roommate and nearly lost the unit. Genevieve assured her, she wasn't a partier, and that in order for her time abroad to count toward her degree back home, she had to maintain a strict grade point average.

Beth was relieved to see Margo leave, but she knew she needed to find another roommate. As part of her scholarship, she received a stipend for housing, but it wasn't enough to cover rent, utilities _and_ food while school was in session, and given the intensity of her classes and the amount of studying and homework, she could not keep her part-time job during the school year. Finding a roommate was her only option once school started in September.

Genevieve informed Beth that she would be arriving in late August, and Beth told the landlord that she need to have a new roommate added to the lease. He promptly told her that if there were any complaints that they would be evicted immediately, and she would have to pay for any damages to the apartment. Beth reassured him that there wouldn't be any complaints.

She then had scrubbed, and washed the apartment from top to bottom. She sewed new curtains on her mom's old sewing machine and even made new slipcovers for the sofas. Beth smiled as she walked through the apartment making sure everything was perfect. She put flowers in Genevieve's room and had washed the bedding. She stocked the refrigerator with a variety of soft drinks and juices, and since she didn't know what else to do, so she sat down on the sofa started up her laptop went over some of the requirements for her classes.

Beth startled at the knock on her door, and she rushed to check the peephole. A beautiful girl with skin the color of rich espresso and curly black hair, about her height looked nervously at a piece of paper in her hand. When Beth opened the door, the girl grinned and said, "Beth?" At her nod, she rushed in and wrapped Beth in a big hug. "Wow! I'm so happy to _finally_ meet you in person!" Beth laughed and hugged her back, "Me too! Where are your bags? Let's bring them in and get you settled." Together they rushed down to get the two large suitcases from the Uber car and lug them back up to the apartment. After they set the suitcases down in the living room, Beth turned to Genevieve and hugged her again saying, "I'm so glad you're here! How was your flight? Are you hungry, thirsty?"

Genevieve laughed and said, "I'm a little thirsty, it was a long ride from the airport, can you show me the loo?"

They chatted animatedly as Beth showed Genevieve around. The two bedroom apartment was one of the better units with windows in each bedroom as well as in the living room. Each bedroom also had it's own bathroom, and the unit hosted a small laundry room off the kitchen.

After the tour Beth asked, "So, Genevieve, what would you like to do? If you're tired you can take a nap or since it's not too hot, we could sit on the balcony and talk? Maybe tomorrow if you're up for it, I could show you the area?" Genevieve smiled and said "You are so sweet, please call me Gen, Genevieve sounds like my mum is scolding me. Speaking of, let me unpacked and call her to let her know I made it over the big blue ocean. Sitting on the balcony sounds great. We can talk and catch up?" Beth agreed and went to her room to give Genevieve some privacy.

They talked and laughed through the afternoon and into the evening. Beth asked, "I forgot one question in the interview process and it's a big one." Gen's eyes widened and she looked nervous. Beth tried to keep the stern expression on her face while asking "What toppings do you eat on your pizza?" but she couldn't keep the snicker of laughter in.

Gen's face relaxed and she laughed "I hope this doesn't get me kicked out before I've even unpacked, but just cheese. Sometimes I go wild and get capers and fresh anchovies, but usually just cheese."

Beth playfully gasped, "Really?? Me too! Except for capers, I don't know what those are, and I'm sorry, but no fish on pizza, just gross! I do go crazy occasionally and will get pineapple and shrimp, but I'm the same, just cheese." Beth called the local pizza restaurant and ordered a large cheese pizza and Italian salad. While they waited for the food, talk quickly turned to relationships and boyfriends. Genevieve told her, "A few months ago, I broke up with my boyfriend, we were dating three years and I thought maybe he was the one."

Beth asked, "Wow, that's a long time. What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

Gen shook her head and said, "No, it's okay, I'm not even really that mad, well, maybe a little mad, but Jordan was being true to himself and I can't fault that really. One day he came to university because he said we needed to talk. I thought maybe he was going to propose! Anyway, we took a walk across the university and he told me that he loved me, but wasn't **_in love_** with me. When I asked him if there was someone else, and he said yes, but they hadn't acted on it yet. I asked him who she was and he told me that it was Patrik, his roommate. They had gotten drunk one night and Patrick confessed to having feelings for him. Jordan was shocked and said if he was honest, he was attracted to him as well and they shared a kiss. Jordan stopped it and said he couldn't do that to me, so he came to see me right away to break it off."

Beth's mouth dropped open, "Holy Shit! He's bi and didn't tell you? That's messed up."

Gen shook her head sadly, "I thought so and when I asked he said, no, I think I'm gay. He started crying when he told me. He said he was so sorry he had to hurt me, and that he hoped we could still be friends. I think we can, we were great together, just not that physical if you know what I mean. I just need some time to get over it."

Beth blew out a breath, "Wow, you were in love with him and you can still forgive him? I think you're a better person than I am."

Gen admitted, "I don't think I was in love, or if I was I sort of fell out of love with him and it was just...comfortable, I guess. It wasn't awful, just familiar." She looked down in thought and when she raised her eyes to Beth, she had a smirk on her face, "Wanna hear something funny?"

Beth answered, "Always."

Genevieve snorted and said, "I just realized, I can let it go, because there wasn't anything I could have done differently to make our relationship work. He didn't leave me for someone who was better than me, just someone with different parts!" She burst out laughing and Beth joined in.

When they calmed down, Beth told her, "From what I know of you, you're one of a kind! No woman, or man for that matter can hold a candle to you. It's his loss, but someone else's gain. I bet you're a fabulous girlfriend."

Gen got up to get more water and to take the empty pizza box to the garbage. She laughingly said over her shoulder, "Don't think you're getting out of your story, just because mine wins the prize for best breakup reason!"

Beth came back in and sat on the sofa hugging one of the throw pillows to her chest, "Well you do win best breakup reason. I don't have a story to even match that. No, my stories are much sadder." She pouted at Gen, "So...I've, um... actually never had a boyfriend."

Genevieve's mouth dropped open, "You're joking right? You had to have had at least one in secondary schooling." At Beth's headshake, she said, "Were you raised in a convent?"

Beth laughed, "No, no convent. I've always been really shy, especially around guys, and I tended to blend into the background, so no one really noticed I was around. I grew up on a farm in a really small town about 50 miles from Casper, a larger town in Wyoming. All of my classmates lived in town near the school and our farm was about 10 miles away. My mom or dad had to stop work to take me and pick me up and when I got home, I had to do chores then homework and help with dinner, so I couldn't stay after school for football games, or clubs or anything. The only thing I had going for me was graduating at the top of my class."

Gen stared at her and blurted out, "So, are you still a virgin??" Immediately her face blushed beet red, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, that just flew out. It's alright though, you've dated in university right?"

Beth laughed uncomfortably, "Yes, I am and it's okay, I'm kinda proud to still be a virgin, I think it's the ultimate gift for my future husband. And, I've dated some in undergraduate and once or twice now, but studying takes up so much time, and really the guys here just want to get drunk and sleep with anything that says yes."

Gen studied her, "You know I really respect your decision. I wish I'd waited for the right person...well, I thought he was right at the time. Anyways, I'm about to fall on my face. Should we get breakfast tomorrow and you can show me around my new home?"

Beth smiled and hugged her saying, "Of course! I know of a great breakfast place but we have to get their early, they get packed by nine."

**********

After breakfast, Beth showed Gen the campus, where her classes were located, and they were excited that they actually had a couple of classes together. They walked to the coffee house where Beth worked during the summer and sat talking until late afternoon. By the time they walked back to their apartment, they had felt like they had known each other for years rather than hours.

Once classes started, they settled into a comfortable routine and were each other's best company, they could talk about anything, Genevieve talked about her life back in Glastonbury and introduced Beth to her friends when she Facetimed each week. Beth shared that she was the only child of parents who were killed in a car crash when she was in her Freshman year of college. She had sold off the animals and the farm and was just able to pay off any debts and pay for her undergraduate schooling. Luckily, Beth was given a full scholarship for her graduate schooling so she would be able to start her career without the crushing student debt most her age were riddled with.

By the end of their last semester, the two girls were as close as sisters, and when Gen packed up to move back to the UK, they promised they would call or Facetime every week, it was an easy promise to keep and they never missed a week. After graduation and the licensing exams, Beth was hired on as a traveling junior veterinarian back in Wyoming. She would be on call for all medical emergencies and would assist the lead vet on daily ranch visits where they would care for cattle, horses, and a whole variety of other farm animals. Genevieve was signed on at a veterinary clinic in her hometown and had moved into her own flat. She reported that her and Jordan had formed a friendship and that he and Patrick were dating and very much in love.

One night during their weekly Facetime, Gen stated she was no longer dating. She had been on a few dates with some very nice men, but there just wasn't any spark. She decided that maybe it wasn't the right time for love so she would get snuggles from the fur babies at the clinic.

When Beth heard this, she laughed and agreed. She told Gen that she was asked out by a cowboy from the ranch they just visited, but when she overheard him talking to his friends about how easy it would be to get her into bed, she turned him down flat.

"I think this is fate telling me to stick to the four legged animals and leave the two legged ones alone!" Beth said. Gen laughed and they agreed to talk at the same time next week.

Beth sighed and looked out her window at the night sky. As she started to turn away she saw a shooting star and made a schoolgirl wish, **_"Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight, I wish I may I wish I might have this wish I wish tonight. I want someone to share my life with."_** With that she crawled into bed, turned out the lights, and was asleep in moments.


	2. When Enough is Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years have passed and Beth is fed up with her job, her boss and his questionable practices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read the prologue, I know this is a lot of set up, but I feel I needed to let you know who Beth is and where she comes from. I promise the next chapter will be more exciting. :)

**_Four years later - Casper Wyoming_ **

**“SHIT! SON OF A BITCH, ASSHOLE, MOTHER FUCKER!”** Beth yelled as the bull she was examining blasted shit all over her, splashing her on the chest, neck and up into her face. Derrick McAllister, laughed his ass off as she wiped feces off her face and clothes the best she could. 

"Looks like he got you good, honey!" He hooted again. Derrick had paged her, once again in the middle of the night claiming that their prize bull was impacted. He insisted that she come right away. Sighing, Beth got out of her warm bed, dressed and climbed into her ancient truck and drove the 15 miles to the ranch in the December sleet.

Wiping off most of the shit covering her, Beth said, “Yeah, he seems fine now. It looks like he somehow got hold of some clover or alfalfa in his feed. You might want to check on that.” She knew that this was just another one of Derrick's bullshit power play games and she was getting sick of it.

“We don’t have clover or alfalfa here Beth, so I don’t know how he would have gotten it. Maybe you’re just wrong on this one. You should probably stay and watch him. You know I’d keep ya company,” his gazed lustily at her. 

Beth told him firmly, “No. He’ll be fine, just make sure he gets plenty of water over the next few hours. Don’t let him graze until you know for sure if the pastures are clean.” With that, she walked to her truck, leaving Derrick scowling after her. Beth didn’t care if she pissed him off, she hated this job. Maybe Dr. Franklin was right, maybe she wasn’t cut out for this type of work. He loved to remind her this was her job, but if it was too hard, she should quit and move to the city where she wouldn’t break a nail. 

Her previous boss, Dr. Carlisle had been a quiet man with a gentle demeanor and Beth respected him enormously. He only questioned her diagnoses when there were other possibilities she missed. He taught her so much while she worked for him, and he never made her feel like she was in over her head. Unfortunately, Dr. Carlisle sold his practice after his wife suffered a heart attack and her doctor said the harsh Wyoming winters were too much for her. 

Dr. Mitchell Franklin was everything that Dr. Carlisle was not, he was harsh, impatient, cold and hated that a woman was working for him. He questioned her every diagnosis, as well as being verbally abusive towards his own staff. His first day he pulled her into his office and told her that he wouldn’t be coddling her like the senile old man. She would be the vet on call because he “already put his time in with the grunt work.” He let her know that he wouldn’t be taking it easy on her just because she was a woman, that she would have to pull her own “ _considerable_ ” weight. With a sneering laugh, he said, “I’ll expect your resignation on my desk within a month.” 

Now two years later, Franklin had become the Livestock Commissioner and Beth still hadn’t earned his respect. Luckily for her, he did hire two more (male) veterinarians and four vet techs so she wasn’t on call every night. With his new position, Dr. Franklin rarely went out on ranch visits; he passed that on to her and the others. Lately though, he was investigating the unexplained deaths in McAllister’s herd. Beth offered to assist in the investigation to see if there was a possible medical reason for the cattle to die, but he brushed her off telling her it was wolves in the area and to leave it alone. Beth shrugged and went on with her daily work. She hated her job and the McAllisters. They acted as if Beth was their personal vet and when she didn’t drop everything and go over for whatever trivial reason, Derrick complained to Dr. Franklin. 

***************

Beth’s cell phone rang when she was leaving the Dennison ranch. She was dirty, tired and sore from calving a few of their heifers. Beth looked at the readout and sighed, “Hello Dr. Franklin, what can I do for you?”

“Where the fuck are you?” Dr. Franklin yelled into the phone.

“I’m on my way back from Dennison’s, a few of their heifers…”

“I don’t need a fucking detailed report, Jesus!. Derrick McAllister said he’s been trying to get you and that you’re ignoring him.” 

Beth sighed again, “Sir, I left my phone in my truck, I just now checked my phone." Beth saw there were 15 texts and 8 missed calls, all from Derrick McAllister. "I was going to call him back to see..

“What he wanted Beth was to reach the fucking vet when he calls. McAllister’s is our biggest client, you have to be available for them. Apparently, Nitrous is impacted.”

Beth was incredulous, “I was out there at midnight last night, there’s no way for him to have become impacted again. Are you sure he said Nitrous?”

Beth was met with silence before he exploded, “ **Are you seriously fucking questioning me?!?** You obviously did a shitty fucking job if he’s still having problems with that bull! I want you to get your ass over there now!”

“I’m on the other side of the county it will take me at least an hour to get to there. If the bull is impacted, which I’m sure he’s not, then send Jared or Curtis. They can get there sooner than I can. Besides, I’m not the vet on call tonight.”

Dr. Franklin cut her off, “No, it’s your fuckin’ mistake, you fix it. While you’re there, another cow was killed, I can’t get there, I'm busy, They have the report, I want you to sign off on the report as a wolf attack and sign it.”

Beth asked, “Shouldn’t I investigate the cause? It seems they are losing a lot of…”

Franklin didn’t wait for her to finish her thought, “No, you do as I fuckin’ said!” The cause of death is wolf attack. Be there in an hour or don’t bother fuckin’ comin’ back at all!” with that, he disconnected the call. The man was such an asshole, would it really be a hardship if she was fired?

Beth picked up her cell phone and called Derrick McAllister “Derrick, Dr. Franklin called and said Nitrous is still having problems?”

Beth could hear the sneer in his voice when he answered, “About damn time Beth! Did you not get my calls? I guess you didn’t finish the job when you were here last night. I told you, you should have stayed to make sure.”

Beth gritted her teeth, “He was fine when I left and you know it. He was walking around and his abdomen wasn’t rigid. There wasn’t a reason for me to stay.” At his grunt, she gave in, “Look, I’m on my way back from Dennison’s and I will be there in about an hour. Dr. Franklin said a wolf got another cow this morning?”

Derrick paused before brushing her off saying, “Yeah, it must have been a coyote. Just get your ass here," he said before hanging up.

When Beth finally got to McAllister's ranch, Derrick met her at the barn. “About time you got here. Franklin isn’t going to be happy when I tell him how long it took you.”

Beth got out of her truck and when his back was turned, rolled her eyes at him. “I told you I was an hour away. If he’s in that much distress you should have called one of the other vets. They could have been her sooner.” Beth looked around as she entered the barn, “ Where is Nitrous?”

Derrick smirked at her, “He’s in pasture 24.”

Pasture 24 was thirty minutes from the barn and Beth looked at him incredulously and asked, “Then how do you know he’s in distress if he’s down in the pasture? I told you, you need to make sure the pastures are clean before letting him graze. He needs to be in the barn.” At his bland stare, she sighed and said, “I’ll meet you down there to check on him.” Derrick mounted his horse and rode off. As she passed the tool shed, she noticed a stream of blood running out the door into the dirt. She hurried over to see if anyone was hurt and saw that the trimmer had blood all over it with hunks of flesh and hide caught in the line. She looked around but didn’t see anything else out of order. 

When Beth arrived at the pasture she didn’t see any sign of Derrick and Nitrous was calmly grazing nearby. Cautiously, Beth entered the pasture and shone her flashlight on the ground checking what little vegetation there was for grazing. Not seeing any clover or alfalfa, she approached the bull. Beth checked his abdomen and found it soft and supple, no signs of distress or tension. She put the clear plastic sleeve on and checked him internally, there was no impaction that she felt. Beth shook her head, of course, another fucking wild goose chase. It was so typical of him. Peeling off the sleeve, Beth looked around again for Derrick and gave up. She gave Nitrous a scratch by his horns and left him alone. As she drove back up to the barn, she spotted the carcass of the dead cow Dr. Franklin had mentioned. Beth stopped and checked the wounds, they didn’t look like a coyote or a wolf caused them. They were too precise, they looked...She suddenly remembered, Dr. Franklin said that the cow died from a wolf attack, but when she questioned Derrick he told her it was coyotes. Something was definitely wrong. 

Back at the barn, Beth sat at the desk in the office, writing up her report on Nitrous, when Derrick walked in, “So? Did you finally do your job right this time?” 

Beth stood and glared at him, “Derrick you fucking call me out here for nothing. You knew there wasn’t anything wrong with that bull. What is this some macho power play?” At his sneer she went on, “I also saw the dead cow, and those wounds weren’t caused by a wolf **_or_ ** a coyote. What the hell is going on? Are you trying to cash in on the insurance money?”

Derrick stormed over to her and crowded her between the desk and wall and said through clenched teeth, “It was a wolf, just like Franklin said, now sign the fuckin’ form.”

Beth pushed at him but he didn’t budge, “Back off! Why are you killing your own cattle?? I saw the trimmer in the shed, it had blood and flesh all over it! I’m not signing off that a wolf killed your cattle when anyone can see it’s a lie.”

Derrick grabbed the front of her coat and a vice-like grip and brought her face to his, “Listen you little bitch, do it or you'll regret it, sign the fuckin’ form and get the fuck outta here!” She stumbled when he let her go.

With her hands shaking, Beth ripped up the form and ran to her truck with Derrick on her heels, yelling at her. Beth jumped in and locked the door, gravel flew as she stomped on the gas. Once she was back on the state highway, she called Dr. Franklin. He answered, “What now Beth, I don’t have time…”

Beth, forcefully cut him off demanding, “Why are we blaming McAllister’s dead cattle on predators? They are clearly killing off their herd.”

Dr. Franklin swore viciously, “You don’t know what you're talking about. It’s coyotes like I told you.”

Beth finally figured it out, “No, you said it was wolves not coyotes. I found the carcass tonight and when I confronted Derrick just now, he threatened me. So what, he’s giving you a cut of the insurance claim? You know insurance fraud is a felony right??” 

Dr. Franklin growled, “It’s none of your fuckin’ business, bitch! Either you do this and keep your job, or I’ll fire you and you won’t be able to work in a feed store when I’m done ruining you!”

Beth had had enough of this narcissistic prick, “You know what Franklin, I quit! I refuse to lie for you. I’m done. I’ll turn in my shit tomorrow and you can find someone else to go along with your bullshit! With that Beth hung up on him.

By the time Beth got home, showered and heated up a frozen meal for dinner, she had calmed down enough to think rationally again. Since she lived meagerly, and didn’t have many bills, she was able to save quite a bit of her salary. She could live off of her savings until she got another job, but the question was though, did she want to sign on for another traveling vet? She was burned out and just wanted something easy. 

**********

Beth woke up at 7:00 a.m., the next morning to her phone going off. Genevieve was Facetiming her, which was odd since she knew Beth was usually out the door by 8:00 a.m.

Beth immediately connected the call, “Hey Gen, what’s up, you never call this early.” 

Gen was bursting with news, “Hey babe! Am I waking you? I’m surprised, usually you’re already working by now.” At Beth’s smile, she went on, “I’m calling to convince you to take some time off and come over for Christmas. My parents are nagging me to bring you back, you know how much they love you.”

This was the perfect excuse to get away from her problems, “Actually, you don’t need to do much convincing, I’d love to.”

Genevieve squealed, “Really?? That’s amazing! I’m so excited!” Then she stopped and looked at Beth suspiciously saying, “Why don’t I have to convince you harder? How do you plan on getting the time off?”

Sheepishly, Beth answered, “I...may have quit my job last night.”

Gen answered, “What! You’re joking! I know you weren’t happy there anymore, but quitting?”

Beth told her of the shady scheme Dr. Franklin had with the McAllisters and that she refused to be part of it. She said that she had some savings, but wasn’t sure what she wanted to do next.

Gen interrupted her, “Babe, I know you, you haven’t taken any time since the last time you were here. Come for Christmas, take a break, collect your thoughts, and have some fun! Besides there is someone I want you to meet!” 

Shocked, Beth stared at her, “Wait, what? You met someone? Who is he, what does he do, when and where did you meet him??” 

Beth felt her mood lift at Gen’s blush and her sweet smile, “His name is Jake Wilson, he’s 32 and a private chef, and I met him through some new friends; oh, and he’s totally gorgeous!” She giggled as she talked about him. Genevieve, who knew her better than anyone, went on to tell her “Aaand, I could use some help setting up my new clinic.”

Beth stuttered, “You’re opening your own clinic? Gen that’s amazing! Oh my God, yes!”

Gen cheered and said, “Yay! I’ll let mum know and she can have someone in her office send you an email with all the details, I can’t wait to see you! Shoot, I gotta go, love you!”

Smiling, Beth replied, “Love you too, see you soon.” She disconnected the call and thought about going to England, and for the first time in a long time, Beth was looking forward to the holidays. Genevieve’s parents, Henry and Vika Njoku, were lovely, and she missed them as much as she missed her best friend. While in university, Henry and Vika took one look at Beth and declared her their honorary second daughter. They always include Beth in their plans, and invited her on family vacations. They had even paid for Beth to visit them that first Christmas after Genevieve returned to England. 

Later that morning, Beth received an email with her ticket information, she was scheduled to leave late the following day. That gave Beth enough time to shop for gifts and pack. Beth smiled when Vika facetimed her, “Hi Mrs. Njoku.”

“Elizabeth, darling (Vika never called her by her shortened name), how many times do I have to tell you, please call me mum or Vika. Did you get the flight information from Rachel?”

Beth grinned at her, “Yes mum. Thank you so much for arranging my trip, but why am I in first class? That’s too expensive!”

“Darling, you will be traveling overnight, you don’t want to be in economy seating, you should be comfortable, Genevieve told us what happened, if you need legal representation, I know a few people. Don’t shake your head no Elizabeth, I am certain that man is breaking the law.” 

Beth laughed at her gently scolding tone, “It’ll be alright, I’m sure it won’t be long until he’s caught, insurance companies tend to notice when the same claims keep repeating. Besides, someone might have tipped them off to what’s been going on.” Beth gave Vika an evil smile. 

“Darling, you are diabolical! I love it, it serves them right.” Vika looked positively gleeful. 

Beth waved her hand as if she were brushing it aside, “Enough about me, how are you and Henry doing? Is he still trying to learn golf?”

Vika laughed and said, “No, he said he will stick to something that stimulates his brain rather than following a little ball. Of course, in man-speak, it means he wasn’t very good.”

Beth laughed with her, and said, “I’m sure you already know, but my flight should arrive late afternoon tomorrow, I can’t wait to see you both, it’s been too long! Gen said she would pick me up.” 

Vika said, “Pardon me a moment dear,” Beth could hear her talking to someone out of sight. I’m sorry Elizabeth, but my next client is here. We can’t wait to see you too, when you’re settled, we will have a nice long visit, the three of us, we will get Genevieve to tell us about her young man. See you soon darling, safe travels!”

Beth hung up the phone and dressed, she decided she would splurge a little and take herself into Casper to shop for Christmas gifts and a few new outfits. A few hours later she walked to her truck bogged down with shopping bags and happier than she’d been in a very long time. Beth arrived home and packed her largest suitcase and carry-on bags and called for the Uber to take her to the airport. After her connection to Denver, Beth settled into her first class seat, and relaxed for the ten hour flight. For some reason, she felt this trip was big, like life-changing big and she couldn’t wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are enjoying the story, and if you have any suggestions I'll gladly take them. It is my goal to update every Sunday. I'd like to update more often but real life tends to get in the way of writing; working, kids, pets, etc. ;)


	3. Finding the Right Chord

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth has arrived in London and meets Genevieve's parents, Iona, Elladine, Seb and finally, Nicky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every so often I'll use a Season 2 character just for the fun of it.

Beth landed in London nine hours later, jet lagged and irritable. After wading through customs and baggage claim, she was more than ready to meet Genevieve and go home. But when she walked outside, she saw no sign of her, instead a young guy with blue hair held a sign with her name. She walked up to him and said, “I’m Elizabeth Littlestar.”

The guy grinned and grabbed her hand pumping it up and down, “Hey! Great, I’m Felix! Follow me, I've got the Jag today.” He turned on his heel and walked toward the waiting vehicle. Once at the car he opened the driver’s door and got behind the wheel and started texting, leaving Beth at the curb with her bags. She walked over and knocked on his window. When he rolled it down she asked, “Can we put my bags in the boot?”

Felix barked a laugh and said, “Oh right! Sorry, my bad,” and he popped the trunk, not bothering to get out and help her. Beth stared at him dumbfounded for a second before walking back and putting her bags in the trunk. She walked to the passenger side and found he locked the door. Rolling her eyes, she pounded on the window startling him. Looking up from his phone, he rolled his window down again and said, “What?”

Beth was losing patience with him, “Unlock the damn door!” 

Once settled, Beth turned her phone on. It immediately started vibrating with missed calls and texts. Beth deleted all the texts from Derrick, and listened to Dr. Franklin’s angry voicemails. He told her that the McAllisters were being investigated for insurance fraud and that he had already been questioned. He threatened he'd ruin her career since he knew she was the one who called the insurance investigator. 

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back when Felix said, “Hey, check out this playlist I made for all the hot birds at the clubs, I'm a DJ on the weekends!” 

Without opening her eyes Beth replied, “No thanks." She did not want to engage him.

“That's cool. You're from America right? I'm awesome with accents. Ya know, I’m not actually a limo driver.” He continued, “I’m actually clerking in Mrs. Njoku’s Law Firm.” he glanced over to see her reaction, “Yeah, I’m pretty important, her right-hand man actually. She calls _me_ for all the important jobs.” he said, with an arrogant smile. 

Beth rolled her eyes, “Oh! You’re in law school? Where do you go?”

Felix squirmed, and said, “Well...I’m…”

Beth cut him off, “You must be _really_ smart to be in law school, clerking and you’re the owner’s right hand man. And, you still have time for DJ’ing at clubs! You must be....a lying asshole. I’m not impressed, just drive the car.”

Felix glared at her, “Fine! I’m not exactly in law school, like I'm an office clerk but, it’s the same thing!"

He glowered at her until Beth cried “Watch out!” as he ran the car onto the sidewalk. Felix slammed on the brakes causing Beth to catch herself on the dashboard. Felix shouted at her, “Fuck! You shouldn’t have distracted me!” He put the car in reverse nearly backing into a bus who blared his horn at them.

Beth shouted, “Jesus! Maybe you should just stop talking and drive.” She hated being rude, but he was being an arrogant jerk. 

Felix huffed a breath and said, “Whatever.”

Over an hour later he pulled up in front of the Njoku’s house and slammed the car into park, throwing Beth forward in the seat. He left Beth in the car and cursed as he walked to the back to get her bags. Beth walked back, pushed him out of her way and grabbed her bags and backpack. She heard him mutter “Good riddance, fat cow.” 

Beth raised her eyebrows at the insult and left him at the car. At the door, she raised her hand, but before she even knocked, the door was thrown open. Genevieve squealed and pulled her into a bone breaking hug. “Can’t. Breathe,” Beth gasped. 

Gen laughed and loosened her grip but didn’t let go until her mum rushed into the foyer, “Elizabeth darling, you made it! Genevieve let the girl breathe!” She embraced Beth with a mother’s love. Vika Njoku was tall and slender with skin the color of rich coffee and her eyes glowed like pools of dark chocolate. 

Beth always thought Genevieve looked just like her mother and even more so now. Gen had slimmed down since the last time Beth had seen her. She now had the muscular build of a dancer, and her hair was in goddess braids that fell around her shoulders. Her eyes were the same light amber as her father. Beth felt her eyes burn with tears, the Njoku’s were the closest thing she had to a family and she didn’t realize how badly she missed them until now. 

When Vika released her she called out, “Felix, please bring Ms. Littlestar’s bags into the house, then take the car back to the garage.” Scowling, Felix stormed past the ladies with Beth's bags. He dropped them in the hall, stomped back outside muttering to himself, and slamming the car door took off down the drive squealing the tires. Vika frowned after the sullen boy and would deal with him later. 

Closing the door, she called out, “Henry! Elizabeth’s arrived, come say hello!” Vika lamented, “That man, he’s still working even though he's on holiday until after the first of the year.” Henry was finishing up some last minute details when they walked in. He removed his reading glasses, crossed over and wrapped Beth in his strong arms saying, “Welcome love! We've missed you! If you're interested, I have the board set up, shall we play after dinner?” He nodded to to the beautifully carved chess pieces by the fireplace. 

Henry hadn’t changed since she met him all those years ago. He was tall and straight with a muscular build, and his salt and pepper hair was cut short. He was still a very handsome man. Laughing Beth said, “I don’t know how well I’ll play, I didn’t sleep on the way here." Turning to Vika she said "I couldn’t sleep on the way over, I was too excited.”

Henry smiled indulgently, “Well then, we’ll hold our game another night when you’re rested. You’re the only one that gives me a decent game.”

Vika instructed the staff to take Beth’s bags up to her room and then she went to check on dinner. Gen sat with Beth on the sofa nearest the fireplace and whispered conspiratorially, "mum’s been driving us crazy all week getting everything ready for you. She’s having cook prepare your favorites tonight and has a dinner party planned for next week! I think she’s more excited about your visit than when I came home from university!” she laughed. “I’m just as bad though, this Saturday I’ve planned us a girls day. You, mum and I are going to the spa, and tomorrow, I thought I could take you by the building for my clinic. I can’t wait to show you. Oh, I want you to meet some of the other shop owners in the area! It’s going to be so much fun!” 

Beth smiled tiredly at her friend, she couldn’t remember the last time she even had her hair cut, she usually kept it braided or pulled into a messy bun. “Sounds glamorous. I’ve never been to a spa, I’m not sure what to do, but it’ll be fun.”

Genevieve really looked at her friend, noticing for the first time, the dark circles under her eyes and her pale complexion, she looked stressed and exhausted. Gen asked, “Is this too much? You look pale, maybe you should rest up for a few days. We can…”

Beth smiled, “No! Being here is already doing wonders, I’ll be fine in a few days. I want to see and do everything you and your mom have planned.” Beth, not liking the attention on her, asked, “Speaking of friends, when do I get to meet Jake?” Beth wiggled her eyebrows at Gen.

Vika walked into the room as Beth asked, and chimed in, “Dinner is ready in the dining room. And yes darling, tell her when we’re going to meet him?” Turning to Beth she announced, “Henry and I haven’t even met him yet. Genevieve, you should invite him to Beth’s welcome home party.”

Smiling Beth said, “You don’t have to have a welcome home party for me.”

Vika waved her concern away, “Nonsense dear, it will be a small affair, and of course, Genevieve will invite her friends as well, won’t you love?”

Dutifully, Genevive answered, “Yes mum,” but rolled her eyes once Vika turned away, causing Beth to choke on her laughter.

Beth enjoyed the delicious meal tremendously. She hadn’t eaten lunch and she was starving. Once finished, everyone moved back to the drawing room for coffee and dessert and after a while Beth could hardly keep her eyes open. Gen took pity on her and said, “Mum, I’m going to show Beth to her room.”

Henry and Vika were snuggled on the settee watching the news and commenting on the state of affairs. When Vika made to get up, Beth stopped her saying, “Please don’t, you two look so cozy. I’ll see you in the morning.” She bent and gave each a kiss on the cheek before following Gen upstairs. Gen kissed her cheek saying, “I’m so happy you’re here, it feels like the holidays now.”

Beth’s room was as big as her apartment back home and had an adjoining bathroom. She noted someone had unpacked her bags thankfully. After she took a quick shower to wash off the travel grime, she climbed into the king sized bed, and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

***************

Beth woke the next morning feeling refreshed and better than she had in months. After a hearty breakfast Gen drove them to a small shopping area with a parkway in the middle where shoppers could sit on the benches around a fountain. The park was surrounded on all four sides with shops and stalls. _**The** _**_Stags Head Sports Pub_ ** had an apartment above with a for rent sign in the window, and across the alleyway a building housed a local branch of the **_Post Office_** , **_The Glass Slipper_** , an artisan shop, and **_The Vinyl Chord Music Shoppe_**. The entire second floor of the building housed the management offices for the square’s shops. Running parallel was **_The Golden Spoon,_** a day café, one small vacant building and a larger vacant building with a flat above and a sold sign in the window. There was also a walk in medical clinic in the next building, with office space above. The square was completed with temporary stalls on either end that sold holiday themed items, snack foods and trinkets. 

Genevieve led Beth to the building with the sold sign in the window and held up a key, her face shone with pride. Beth exclaimed, “Is this it? This is going to be your clinic?” At Gen’s enthusiastic nod, Beth squeezed her hand, “This is amazing! Let’s go in Doctor!”

Gen laughed and unlocked the door. The sound of power tools and the smell of fresh wood assaulted their senses. Genevieve showed Beth where the waiting room and check-in desk would be. She walked down a hallway calling out, “Hello? Bill?”

The noise of the drill stopped and a female’s voice called back, “Naw, it’s just me here, Bill ran to the hardware shop.”

Gen grinned as they walked in the back and saw a tall woman with short blonde hair dressed in t-shirt and baggy jeans with a toolbelt around her narrow hips. Gen gushed, “Iona this is looking amazing! You got so much done! We’ll be ready to open earlier than planned!” Turning to Beth she said, “Iona, this is my friend Beth from Wyoming.”

Iona grinned and looked Beth up and down and said, “Wyoming huh? Know any cowboys?”

Beth grinned back and said, “A few, but they’re not as romantic as the movies make them out to be.”

When Iona laughed Beth noticed she had her tongue pierced, and mentally winced and the pain that must have been. They chatted for a few minutes before they let Iona get back to work. Gen showed her three exam rooms that were framed out and where a surgical suite would be built in case of emergencies. They called goodbye to Iona and left the shop. Beth asked, “So what are you going to name your clinic?”

Genevieve blushed and said, “I’ve got two names in mind, one is proper and the other is fun.” At Beth’s nod, she went on, "Well, I’m thinking either Surrey Animal Hospital or Purr-fect Paws Animal Clinic.” 

Grinning Beth said, “I vote Purr-fect Paws.”

“I thought so too. **_Perfect Paws_ ** it is! Let’s go to The Glass Slipper next, I’ve got something set aside for mum for Christmas. Elladine makes the most beautiful glasswork, some of it looks like spun sugar, it’s so delicate.” When they walked in, a tall curvy girl was arguing with someone on the phone. She held up one finger motioning that she would be one minute. 

Gen said, “That’s Elladine, isn’t her shop great? She’s a glassblower and makes all of the artwork here.” Beth looked around the store and noted pieces so small they fit in the palm of your hand, up to the tree-like structure in the middle of the shop. There were glass bowls and pitchers, vases and wall hangings. 

“Sorry about that. Genevieve, did you come back for the bowl and vase set?” Elladine air kissing both her cheeks. She looked Beth up and down derisively, and said, “Hello, I’m Elladine, and you are?”

Beth extended her hand and said, “Hi, I’m Beth, you have a beautiful shop.”

Elladine stared at Beth’s calloused hand for a second longer than comfortable before shaking it limply. “Yes it is,” and with that she turned away and spoke directly to Genevieve, “You know several people have inquired about those pieces, but I knew I should hold on to them for you!”

Gen’s brow furrowed, as looked from Ella to Beth. She knew Ella could be prickly, the artist’s temperament was a cliché for a reason, but she’d never seen her dismiss someone so quickly. “Yes, I decided on the cut glass bowl and vase set for mum.” When Elladine walked into the back room, Gen whispered, “I don’t know what’s gotten into her, she’s not normally so rude.”

Beth shook her head, and said, “It’s fine, but I think I’ll go visit the music shop next door.”

Gen smiled “Sure. Nicky and Seb are amazing, I’ll be over when I’m done here” 

Elladine walked in as Beth was leaving and smirked, “Oh, where’s your little friend going?” Once the door closed, she said, “Really Genevieve, socializing with riff raff? What would your mother say?”

Gen answered, “Next door, she didn’t feel very welcome here.” She continued in a much cooler voice, “Beth is not 'riff raff', she's a veterinarian, the same as me, and 'what would my mother say'? She loves her like a daughter. I’ve never seen you judge someone so quickly.”

Elladine reared back as if slapped, “She was wearing ratty jeans and boots, and did you see her coat? She looks like she belongs on a farm. She obviously can’t afford anything here, so why waste my time?””

Gen retorted, “I can’t believe you’re acting this way! I think you’re letting your success go to your head.” She handed her credit card over and after she signed the sales slip, she said, “I’m disappointed in you Ella. You may end up losing customers if you don’t change your attitude.”

Bitterly, Ella replied, “Are you threatening me?”

Gen turned when she got to the door, saying, “No, just making an observation. You know what they say about glass houses?” And with that parting remark she walked out the door.

******

While Gen was arguing with Ella, Beth had walked into The Vinyl Chord and immediately felt at ease. The store had two spaces separated with an arched doorway. Bluesy music played in the background and a tall man with glasses and manbun, sat behind the counter sorting vinyl records while a cat curled up on the counter next to him. Racks of vinyl records, and CD’s, lined the walls, with record players and accessories in the middle of the space. Instead of artwork on the walls, there were vintage posters of punk bands Beth had never heard of mixed with the Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.

The man looked up and said, “Can I help you find anything?” 

Beth smiled and said, “No thanks, I’m just browsing. Can I go in there?” she said pointing through the archway.

He shrugged, “Yeah, but don’t touch anything. Nicky’s almost finished with a lesson.” 

Beth walked through the archway and immediately saw trumpets, violins, drums and all sorts of brass and wind instruments lining the walls. There was even a black baby grand piano in the middle of the room. On the walls hung guitars and in the back of the store there was a raised platform Beth assumed was used as a small stage. On the stage, a beautiful acoustic guitar sat on a stand. Beth looked around before picking it up. She sat down and strummed a few chords transitioning to Fast Cars by Tracy Chapman. She was so lost in the music she didn’t hear anyone approach until a deep raspy voice asked, “What are you doing?"

Beth startled and stopped playing. “Oh I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean any harm. She quickly put the guitar back and stood up. Before her stood the most handsome man she’s ever seen. He was much taller than her 5’5 frame and had a lean muscular build. His mocha skin was smooth and he wore well fitting jeans and white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up showing his muscular forearms. He wore a scowl on his beautiful face, and his hair was covered by a white fedora which only added to his charm. He brushed by her and picked up the guitar before walking behind the counter, “Can I help you with something?”

Beth felt herself flush “No, I’m really sorry, it was just so beautiful I wanted to try it out. Beth extended her hand and smiled at him, her dimples making a brief appearance, “Let’s start again. Hi! I’m Beth.” 

Nicky took a deep breath and smiled back, “Sorry for snapping at you. I’m Nicky, it’s nice to meet you.” When he took her hand Beth swore she felt sparks up and down her arm. He looked as surprised as she did and jerked his hand away. “You’re American, yeah? Are you here on holiday?”

A little breathless, Beth answered, “I’m, um, visiting my friends for the holidays. Genevieve is over at the glass shop and said she would be over soon. If you’re Nicky, then that's Seb in the other shop?”

Nicky beamed and said, “Yeah, he’s the vinyl and I’m the chord. You know, you actually play pretty well.”

Beth blushed a little at the compliment, “Thanks, I’m still learning, but I really like it so far.”

Nicky stared at the girl and said, “I could give you some lessons if you like, but you have the basics down really well.”

“Wow, yeah, I’ll think about it.” Beth replied. At that moment the door jingled and Gen walked in calling out, “Hi Seb! Beth! Where’d ya go babe!” Nicky ushered Beth through the archway ahead of him. 

Beth answered “I’m here. I was playing with the guitars and Nicky caught me!” she turned and winked at him over her shoulder. Nicky just grinned down at her and Beth felt it to her core. 

Gen laughed and said, “Really? I didn’t know you played. Wanna stop at the cafe for an early lunch? Nicky, Seb can you join us?” 

Seb looked up shaking his head saying, “I’m going to run home later and check on the Doom’s kittens.”

Gen smiled at him saying, “Aww what a good cat dad you are! Don’t forget to bring them in, in a few weeks for their shots.” Gen turned to Nicky and asked, “You wanna join us for lunch at Camillo’s?”

Nicky looked at Beth and asked “Seb, can you handle things?” At Seb’s nod, he said, “I’d love to join you ladies. Let me clean up a few things and I’ll meet you there.”

As soon as the door closed behind them, Gen said, “OK, spill! What was that about? You never blush and your face is as red as a berry!” 

Beth laughed and said, “He is the singularly _the_ hottest man I’ve ever seen! Holy hell, please tell me that man is single!” she turned back to catch one more glimpse of him and found him watching them, when he saw them looking back he winked. They both turned back and giggled.

******

Seb frowned at Nicky and asked, “You’re going to lunch with them? That’s not like you man, you usually go over to Ella’s.”

Nicky said, “Yeah well she’s pissed at me again. I’d rather avoid another lecture on what a shitty unsupportive boyfriend I am. Besides, did you see her?” 

Confused, Seb looked around, “Who Genevieve?”

Nicky shook his head, “No Beth.” Nicky was enthralled by the gorgeous brunette. She was on the shorter side and curvy as hell. Her hair was black as night and pulled back into a messy bun, and was contrasted by deep blue eyes. All set off by golden skin that looked as soft as silk and left him aching to touch her just to find out. When she smiled, he was pleased to see dimples dotting both cheeks. He had such a thing for dimples, and when she turned back to the shop, he winked just to watch a rosy blush cross her cheeks. 

Nicky walked back to his side of the shop and quickly cleaned up and set up for Yasmin to teach the next class. He went into the restroom and washed up a bit, and checked his reflection. He thought he looked good today, but maybe the hat was a bit much? He took it off and finger combed his dreads. He deemed himself ready and left to join the ladies.

When he walked in he zeroed in on Beth and quickly moved to their table. He sat down across from Beth and studied her. “So what brings you to Surrey?”

Beth smiled showing her dimples, “Gen and her family invited me for the holidays, and since I just quit my job, I thought ‘what the hell’ and decided to come over to figure out what’s next.”

Nicky’s eyes widened at that, “Wow! You just quit? What do you do or did you do?”

Beth said, “I’m a vet like Gen, only I worked with a veterinary service in Wyoming. We went out to the ranches every month or so and checked on the farm animals.”

Nicky looked impressed, “Why’d you quit, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Beth frowned, “I was asked to do something unethical and when I said no, the owner threatened me, so I walked.” Beth took a sip of her water and looked down at the menu. 

Gen had remained quiet during the whole exchange and watched with a small smile on her face, “So Nicky are you playing this weekend?”

The waitress arrived and after they placed their orders, Nicky said, “Yeah Tai’s got open mic night on Saturday so I thought I’d go over and play for a bit.” Looking at Beth he said, “Why don’t you come out for a while? First rounds on me! He’s expecting a good crowd, it’ll be fun.”

Beth gave Gen a pleading look and at Gen’s nod said, “Sure we’d love to, it sounds like fun. What do you sing?”

Nicky smiled and said, “A little of everything, but if you have any requests, I’d make sure to play for you.”

“Why don't you surprise me?” Beth asked coyly biting her lip.

Surprised, he laughed, “I'm game. Do you sing?”

Gen answered before Beth could deny, “She does, she’s amazing.”

Nicky grinned, “More of shower serenade?” His grin turned wicked as he pictured Beth in the shower.

Laughing, Beth flushed and said, “No more of cleaning crooner.”

They chit chatted over their lunch until Nicky reluctantly got up and said, “Well ladies, it’s been a pleasure, but I gotta get back so Seb can check on the babies. I can’t wait to see you on Saturday night.” He took Beth’s hand and kissed the back, never taking his eyes off hers.

When he was gone, Gen fanned herself, “O.M.G. that was hot!”

Beth grinned and said, “I know! That man knows how to make an exit!”

Genevieve was reluctant to say anything, seeing her friend happy, but once they were in the car she said, “I’m not sure how to tell you, but Nicky is seeing someone. I don’t know how serious it is, but I wanted you to know.”

Beth’s smile faded, “Really? He’s not single?” She knew it was too good to be true. At Gen’s grimaced face, Beth said, “OK tell me the rest, why the face?”

Gen sighed, “He’s dating Elladine. But if he’s noticing you, they may be on the way out. He isn’t the kind of guy that cracks on with someone else while he’s in a relationship. He’s definitely interested so maybe…” she broke off. Beth smiled, but she wasn’t getting in between them. She would go to the pub but she would keep it friendly between her and Nicky. There wouldn't be any more flirting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I am writing Elladine not as the sweet girl in the game, but a self-centered egotistical artist. It's been quite fun :)
> 
> Kudos, comments (good and bad), and suggestions are always welcome.


	4. A Whole New You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beth gets a makeover and Nicky can't take his eyes off of her. Unfortunately, there's always someone to bring the mood down a bit.
> 
> I had so much fun finding just the right song for Nicky to sing to Beth. I hope you enjoy it!

Saturday had come and the three ladies had arrived at the spa for a day of pampering. Beth discovered that Gen booked them for manis/pedis, body scrubs and massages, and new hair styles. When she tried to protest that it wasn’t necessary and hint that she couldn’t really afford the upscale salon, Vika informed her that she was not to worry about the costs and just enjoy the day. 

The attendant instructed her to remove her robe and slippers and lie on the table face down. “Millicent will be in shortly for your treatment.”

“Knock, knock!” a female voice called, before entering the room. “Elizabeth! Hi, I’m Millicent! I’ll be doing your full body scrub and massage today! I see you have a full day booked, wonderful! “Let’s get started!” Millicent’s enthusiastic way of speaking, amused Beth and somehow relaxed her at the same time. 

The body scrub wasn’t as embarrassing as Beth imagined, mostly due to Millicent’s explanation of what she was doing and how long Beth had to wait until she could wash it off. Once Beth was ready to rinse, Millicent led her over to what she called the Vichy shower. Once Beth was lying down, she positioned the shower heads to rinse away the scrub. The warm water cascading over her skin and relaxed even more. When instructed she turned over and let the water wash her back. 

All too soon the water disappeared and she was wrapped in a towel and escorted back to the treatment room. The lights had been dimmed considerably and soft relaxing music was playing in the background. “I have a lemon balm and lavender oil heating, since you didn’t state you had any muscle ailments.”

Beth had never been more relaxed in her life! She never knew anything could feel this good, she was so sorry to have it end and told Millicent so. She laughed and said, “I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’m sure you’re going to enjoy the rest of the day as well! I’ll take you back to the relaxation room to wait for your next appointment. Oh! Don’t forget to drink some water! Now that we’ve revitalized your skin, you want to keep it hydrated!” 

Beth sat there smiling when Genevieve walked in and said, “Look at you, you’re glowing! You look so much better than when you arrived.” She touched just under Beth’s eyes and said, “The circles all but disappeared!” 

Beth laughed and said, “After that massage, I’m hard pressed to be stressed out about anything!” Turning serious, she told her friend, “I can’t thank you enough for everything. I’m not sure...” she broke off when her eyes filled with tears. Gen hugged her tight and said, “You’re family, you needed to come home!”

Vika walked in and saw the girls hugging and Beth with tears in her eyes. “My Darlings!” she cried, “What on earth is wrong?”

Tears streaming down her face, Beth cried ”It’s stupid! I don’t even know why I’m being so emotional!”

Vika wrapped her in her arms and rocked her from side to side. “It’s not stupid, it’s completely understandable love! I know how hard you try to stay strong, especially at the holidays. You are missing your parents, and with the stress you’ve been under coupled with quitting your job, you’re allowed to be emotional.” Vika let Beth sob without shushing her or murmuring useless nonsense. The girl always held herself in too tight of control, in her mind, this release was needed. When an attendant walked in, she waved her away. She always knew what her girls needed even if they didn’t, and right now Beth needed a good cry.

Finally she sniffled and took a deep breath. Vika smiled at her and asked, “How long were you holding that in?” Beth snorted and Gen handed out tissues and they all composed themselves. Beth took a long drink of water, her throat felt parched. 

By late afternoon Beth had been scrubbed, rubbed, and polished until she gleamed. Now she sat with her hair down in the stylist’s chair. Michael ran his hands through her hair that fell to her waist and asked, “I’ve never seen hair this long with very little damage. What is your haircare routine? What products do you use?”

“I grew up on a Cheyenne reservation and the medicine woman told us to wash our hair with a marigold and avocado oil mixture once a week, aloe vera in between washes and rinse with apple cider vinegar and water. We sleep with our hair in braids and during the day when I’m working I usually wear it pulled back in a french braid or bun to keep it out of my face.”

“How attached are you to the length?” At her panicked look, he grinned, “Nothing too drastic, but we need to take some of the weight off. You have a lot of wave in here, I’m thinking with the right cut, we can bring your curls to life. What do you think of highlights?”

“I need to be able to pull it back when working with the animals, and I’ve never colored my hair before. Will it be drastic?”

“No, We’ll keep them subtle and just a few highlights to add light and dimension. I think you’ll really like it.” Beth took a deep breath, she stepped out of her comfort zone and enjoyed the day so far, “Alright. Let’s do it.” Michael grinned and went to mix up the color.

Two hours later, Beth stared in the mirror, barely recognizing herself. Her hair had been cut to just below her shoulder blades with long layers added in. The mahogany highlights framed her face and after he washed out the residual color Michael showed her how to style her hair. She never realized she had ringlet curls! For today, he styled her hair in sleek waves. Beth was so astonished with the final look, she hugged him. He laughed and said, “I wish all my clients were as happy as this! Go on then and break some hearts!”

After changing back into her clothes, Beth walked out and met Genevieve and Vika in the lobby. At Gen’s gasp Vika turned and beamed, “Elizabeth! You look lovely! Your hair is perfect!” Beth flushed with her praise. 

She looked to Gen who grinned, “Holy Shit! Who is this?” 

“Genevieve! Language!” Vika admonished, but laughed in spite of herself.

“You look amazing!” Always thinking ahead, she went on, “Okay, we need an outfit for the whole new you! I mean, I’m sure you brought some nice things, but I know you’ll want to know someone’s socks off! Elladine who?” She smirked.

Vika just shook her head at her daughter’s behaviour, “I’m sorry I can’t join in the great transformation, but I must return to the office and take care of a small matter.” She hugged both girls and left in a black cab. 

“So we want something dressy yet still casual. Hmm, maybe a dress? What do you think of this?” Gen held out a blue mini dress.

Even though Beth spent the day relaxing, she was still exhausted. She touched Gen’s arm, “Actually, can we just go home? I know you want to do the whole new me thing, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it, but I have an outfit in mind for tonight that I think will work.” At Gen’s crestfallen face, she pressed on, “Please? I’m so grateful, but I don’t want to be something I’m not. There isn’t anything in here that I would wear back home.” The clerk made an affronted noise and Beth assured her, “No, no, your stuff is beautiful, but…” she was making a mess of this.

Gen smiled and nodded her head “I understand and you’re right, you should feel comfortable.” She turned to the clerk and nodded to the mannequin “I’ll be back next week, I’ve got my eyes on that jacket.” With that they left the shop and returned home for a light dinner and to get ready for the pub.

***************

The car park was full when Nicky and Elladine got to the pub. He had to wait a full hour for her to get ready and he was on edge. She complained the whole way and his head was starting to throb. He tried to calm her down, but she was too worked up. When they got to the pub, he saw that Tai had reserved a table for them, Camillo and Iona, Bill and Mikki, and Seb were already seated when they walked over. “I’m going to get a pint. Babe, what would you like?”

She stared at him incredulously, “Seriously Nicky? We’ve been together for six months and you don’t know my drink yet?” She turned her back on him and started talking to everyone at the table. Nicky sighed, if she was going to treat him like this, it was going to be a really, really long night. Ella could be sweet and playful, but something was stressing her and she wouldn’t share with him. He hoped tonight would put her in a better mood. 

He walked to the bar and waited for Tai to work his way down to him when the door opened. He glanced over and did a double take when Beth walked in with Genevieve. His mouth fell open at the sight of her. Her dimpled cheeks were pink from the cold and her lips were like ripe red berries he wanted to taste. She wore a long floaty red dress with a split up to her knees that she paired with a denim jacket. She wore matching cowgirl boots and on her head, a brown felt cowgirl hat with red and white feathers dangling from a leather cord. She was a vision and Nicky couldn’t take his eyes off her. Drinks forgotten, he walked over to them. When he was close enough, he said, “You made it! I wasn’t sure you would.” He bent and kissed both of them on the cheek. “We’ve got a table near the stage if you want to sit with the others. What can I get you to drink?” He hoped she couldn’t hear how fast his heart was beating. 

Beth smiled up at him “I’ll just take a coke with ice,” while Genevieve said she would take a glass of cabernet.

Elladine wondered what was keeping Nicky turned and watched the whole exchange with narrowed eyes. The little bitch was cracking on her man! She would put her in place soon enough.

***************

Beth felt herself flush when Nicky kissed her cheek. She had to get herself together. He was taken. He looked even more handsome than she remembered. He was in tight dark wash jeans, a blue cashmere sweater with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows and black Doc Martens. His dreads were pulled back out of his face and he wore round black framed glasses. Beth’s mouth went dry looking at him.

Dazed, she bumped into a table as she followed Gen. Gen smirked at her and made introductions, “You know Iona”, Beth smiled warmly at her, “This is her boyfriend Camillo, he runs the cafe we went to.” Beth shook his hand and turned to the next couple Gen introduced, “And this is Bill, he’s also working on the clinic with Iona, and this is his girlfriend Mikki. Beth said hello, as Gen went on, “and you’ve already met Ella and Seb.” Gen called to the table, “This is Beth, she’s visiting from the US.” 

As Beth sat, she noticed Elladine scowling at her. She smiled and tried being friendly, “It’s nice to see you again. Gen said you made all the pieces in your shop.” Nicky returned with their drinks, and handed Beth her Coke and Gen her wine and sat down with his beer. 

“Where’s **_my_ **drink Nicky?” Ella seethed. “Did you already forget you have a girlfriend just because the fat cow put on a clean dress??” Shocked, everyone looked at Beth who had gone pale. Ella stood and gave him a scathing look, “Never mind, You’re fucking useless!” and she stalked away. Nicky looked at the table apologetically and followed her to the bar. 

Dumbstruck, Beth watched them go, “I don’t know what the hell is wrong with her. I’m sorry she’s being a raving bitch. If you want to leave we can go somewhere else. I don’t think we should let all this go to waste,” she gestured to their outfits. 

Beth calmed her breathing, “No, we can stay, there’s open mic and karaoke right? That should be a laugh. Besides, it seems that my staying would just piss her off more!” Beth said with an evil smile toward the arguing couple. Beth watched long enough for Elladine to storm away then back. Nicky raised his hands at her and walked back to the table, while Ella stalked to the other end of the bar and sat glaring at Beth. He sat next to Beth and leaned in and spoke quietly, “I’m so sorry about Ella, she’s been in a mood all week. I don’t know what set her off this time, but I told her she could either calm down or leave. She’ll calm down eventually.”

Beth turned to him and almost bumped noses, she drew back and glanced back at the bar where Ella sat fuming. “She’s welcome to stay away as far as I’m concerned. I’ve met her twice and she’s been a bitch both times. Besides, you said you’d sing a song for me. I can’t wait to hear it.” 

Nicky grinned at her, “Right, I think I’ve got the perfect song picked out.”

They turned back to the table and joined in the conversation, when Tai brought a pitcher of beer and glasses, everyone at the table cheered, “Yeah, yeah, these aren’t on the house, ya know. I’m just wantin’ to meet the newbie” he turned and held out a hand, “I’m Tai and this is my place.” 

“Beth, it’s nice to meet you too. It’s great so far, I can’t wait for the music to start. Will you be up there?” She grinned as she shook his hand. He was beautiful to look at, all muscles and long dark curly hair. She couldn’t place his accent, but he was delicious!

Laughing he said, “Nah, I might try to get my boyfriend up there, but you don’t want me to sing.”

Beth looked around, “Is he here?”

“Yeah, he’s the hottie behind the bar.” Tai called out with a goofy grin, “Oi! Ciaran! Come over and meet the yank!” Several pairs of eyes turned to her making Beth uncomfortable. Ciaran walked over and Tai kissed him on the side of the head as he introduced him to Beth. 

“Tai said you sing, will you get up there later?” Beth asked

“I might, if I have the right persuasion” he said looking playfully at Tai. He had a gorgeous Irish accent and the two of them made such a cute couple. They got lost in each other’s eyes until someone cleared their throat. “I better get back to work before this one docks me pay. It was nice to meet you Beth.” He waved as he walked back to the bar.

Tai walked to the stage, turned on the lights, and the crowd went crazy. He spoke into the mic “Hey! Is everyone ready for open mic night?? If you’re not, we have whiskey to loosen you up! Let’s start the night with a fan favorite, Yasmin!” 

A slim middle eastern girl walked to the stage with a shot glass and spoke into the microphone, “Hey everybody! How ya doin’ tonight?” At the crowd's cheers, she said, “Awesome! OK, everyone grab your drink and raise ‘em high!” She grabbed her glass of clear liquid and called out, “Who’s got our first toast of the night?”

Nicky pulled Beth up and yelled, “Right here! This is Beth visiting from America!” Everyone yelled and hooted as Yasmin said, “Toast to Beth! Welcome to Surrey and to Stag’s Head Pub!” Yasmin tossed back her shot and everyone took a drink. She started to play Cheers by Rihanna.

 _Cheers to the freakin’ weekend_ _  
__I drink to that, yeah yeah_

 _O let the Jameson sink in_ _  
__I drink to that, yeah yeah_

_Don’t let the bastards get ya down_

_Turn it around with another round_

_There’s a party at the bar_

_Everybody putcha glasses up and I drink to that_ _  
__(yeah, yeah,yeah,)_

_Life’s too short to be sittin’ round miserable_

_And people gon’ talk whether you doing bad or good, yeah_

_Got a drink on my mind and my mind on my money, yeah_

_Looking so bomb, gonna find me a honey_

_Got my Ray Bans on and I’m feelin’ hella cool tonight, yeah_

_Everybody’s vibin’ so don’t nobody start a fight, yeah._

_Cheers to the freakin’ weekend_ _  
__I drink to that, yeah yeah_

 _O let the Jameson sink in_ _  
__I drink to that, yeah yeah_

_Don’t let the bastards get ya down_

_Turn it around with another round_

_There’s a party at the bar_

_Everybody putcha glasses up and I drink to that_ _  
__(yeah, yeah,yeah,)_

Yasmin shouted “Yeah, that’s how you start a fucking weekend!” everyone went wild. “Alright, who’s next?” Several people went to the sign up table where a pretty blond girl took names and songs. 

Several hours had passed before Beth realized it. The flood of people wanting to show off their sometimes dubious singing abilities died down to a steady trickle. She was still drinking soft drinks while everyone else was enjoying the beer and wine Tai kept bringing them. Once Mikki asked snarkily, “What are you too goody-goody to drink anything with some bite?” Beth glanced at the drunk girl and ignored her. Mikki unsteadily got up and walked over to the bar where Ella was flirting with an Indian guy and started gossiping about Beth.

Nicky stood and walked over to the table, the girl grinned and wrote his name and song down. He winked at Beth when he walked back to the table. They had been talking and flirting (sue her, he was just too hot to keep the friend zone), all night. She had been trying to get him to tell her the song he picked but he kept changing the subject, it was making her crazy! The blond girl called out the next name, “OK we have a duet next, Marisol and Graham!” Everyone looked around but nobody stepped forward, “Are Marisol and Graham still here?” She asked. When no one came to the stage, she said, “Alright moving on. Is Jake Wilson here?” 

Genevieve’s head whipped around. She squealed and jumped up when she spotted him walking toward her. He caught her as she jumped into his arms. “You made it! I didn’t think you would be able to.” 

Jake smiled at her before kissing her deeply. “Hold that thought, I’ll be right back, I gotta sing to my girl.” He walked up on stage, sat at the keyboard and played the opening chords to Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight. His gritty voice fit the song perfectly and his eyes never left Genevieve. Everyone cheered when the song ended. He walked back to the table and kissed Gen again, before pouring himself a beer. He looked at Beth and said, “I don’t think we’ve met yet, I’m Jake” he held out his hand.

Beth shook it saying, “It’s so nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you.” The hoots and hollers around them pulled Beth’s attention back to the stage.

Nicky sat with the guitar and started playing. Beth burst out laughing when he sang:

_I threw a wish in the well_

_Don't ask me I'll never tell_

_I looked at you as it fell_

_And now you're in my way_

_I'd trade my soul for a wish_

_Pennies and dimes for a kiss_

_I wasn't looking for this_

_But now you're in my way_

_Your stare was holding_

_Ripped jeans, skin was showin'_

_Hot night, wind was blowin'_

_Where you think you're going baby?_

_Hey, I just met you and this is crazy_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe_

_It's hard to look right at you baby_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe_

_Hey I just met you and this is crazy_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe_

_And all the other girls try to chase me_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe_

_You took your time with the call_

_I took no time with the fall_

_You gave me nothing at all_

_But still you're in my way_

_I beg and borrow and steal_

_At first sight and it's real_

_I didn't know I would feel it_

_But it's in my way_

_Your stare was holding_

_Ripped jeans, skin was showin'_

_Hot night, wind was blowin'_

_Where you think you're going baby?_

_Hey, I just met you and this is crazy_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe_

_It's hard to look right at you baby_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe_

_Hey I just met you and this is crazy_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe_

_And all the other girls try to chase me_ _  
__But here's my number, so call me maybe_

Beth hooted and clapped with the rest of the crowd when he finished his song and walked back to them. He wrapped her up in a bear hug and whispered in her ear “So, can I call you maybe?” He pulled back and grinned at her. Beth looked over at the bar where Ella was glaring at them and pushed herself out of his arms.

“Um, I don’t think your girlfriend would like that too much.” Beth nodded toward Ella at the bar.

Nicky flushed and stepped away, he turned to look for Ella and found her walking out of the pub with a guy he’d never seen before. “I-I’m sorry, I gotta go see what’s going on.” At Beth’s nod, he looked like he wanted to say more, but turned and left.

All of the warm tingling feelings she had with him tonight drained away leaving her feeling tired and cold. She looked over to Gen to see if she was ready to leave, and saw that she was sitting on Jake’s lap canoodling. She walked over and said, “Hey, I’m gonna catch a cab back home.” Gen looked around and said, “Oh, well that’s okay, I can…”

Beth stopped her, “No, it’s alright, you stay with Jake.” she looked at the rest of the group and said, “It was nice meeting ya’ll.” She walked outside into the crisp cold air and called for an Uber. While she was waiting she heard raised voices and looked over to see Ella and Nicky arguing.

“It looked really cozy to me! Are you fucking her? I’m sure she’s easy, all American’s are!” Ella yelled at him.

Nicky ran a hand through his hair, “Stop it! We’re not fucking, we’re not anything! I just met her a few days ago and again tonight. We were just talking. The song was a joke!” She turned to walk away, he called after her, “Ella, wait!” Beth moved a bit closer to hear what he had to say, though she didn’t know why, apparently she wasn’t anything. 

“Look Ella, you’ve been in a mood all week, I don’t know what you want from me anymore. I just wanted to have a good time tonight.” He held her by the arms and bent down to stare into her eyes, “I wanted to have a good time with **you** , but you left me. I felt sorry for her, she didn’t know anyone but Gen. I was going to sing to you, you know that don’t you baby?”

Beth had heard enough. He pitied her, she hated pity. She didn’t deserve it, she wasn’t some pathetic loser looking for a handout. They turned back just as a black mini pulled up, “Are you Beth?” At her nod, he said, “I’m Jon, get in love.” Beth looked over at the couple and caught Nicky staring at her with a guilty expression and Elladine with a hateful smirk. 

Beth closed the door. She felt bruised on the inside. She was tough, she had to be, but to hear the guy she was crushing on, tell his girlfriend she was nothing, hurt.


	5. In the (Friend) Zone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Christmas draws closer, Nicky and Ella have it out.

A week had passed since the disastrous open mic night. Fortunately for Beth, Vika kept her busy with details for the Welcome Home/Christmas party that would be held on Christmas Eve. 

Vika tasked her with the interior decor. She ensured her that whatever she and the decorator planned would be lovely. She scheduled a meeting for Beth to meet with her interior designer, Chelsea and she would be arriving soon.

The housekeeper led a petite blond girl into the sitting room where Beth was waiting. “Babe! Hello! I’m Chelsea Paxton, Mrs. Njoku’s designer!”

Beth started to hold out her hand for a shake, but Chelsea quickly embraced her in a hug. Beth was startled, before she could react Chelsea released her. 

“Mrs. Njoku told me that we would be working together to get the house ready for the party and I have so many ideas!” 

Beth sat in silence as the dynamo next to her pulled out photos of prior year’s themes and decorations and what she envisioned for this year. The theme she chose this year was “Champagne Elegance.” All the rooms would be decorated in shades of white, cream, eggshell, etc., with touches of gold and silver throughout. Based on Chelsea’s photos, and sketches, it looked beautiful, but cold and impersonal. Beth remembered Christmas with her parents when she was a child, they were cozy and warm with mismatched ornaments, and bright multicolored lights. 

“It’s beautiful. I’m sure Vika will approve of everything.”

Chelsea looked up from the swatches she was sorting through and eyed Beth quizzically. “But, **_you_ **don’t love it. Mrs. Njoku said you have the final approval, so if you don’t want this then we will come up with something else.” She looked deflated that Beth didn’t immediately love her idea.

Beth suddenly had a thought, “It’s nice, but not for the whole house.” She explained how she loved the simplicity of her childhood Christmases back home and suggested, “What about we decorate each room a different theme? We can do your elegant room for the formal parlor, and the family room can be the old fashioned, colored lights and silly ornaments, and paper snowflakes, a child’s memory of Christmas.”

Chelsea sat back and thought, a huge grin lit her face, “Oh! Em! Gee! Babe’s that’s fantastic! Let me get back to my studio. I've got so many ideas right now. We’ll meet again on Thursday to go over everything!”

Beth walked Chelsea to the door and was prepared when she hugged Beth close. 

***************

Nicky was working on the Vinyl side of the shop, Seb had errands to run, one of them was taking the kittens to Genevive for their shots. He didn’t mind working on the other side every now and then, it gave him a chance to people-watch. The weather had turned sharply colder and a light freezing drizzle started falling, it matched his mood. Things with Ella hadn’t improved since their fight last weekend, and he didn’t know what to do anymore to make her happy. She was even more churlish and short-tempered with him lately and it reminded him of growing up with his alcoholic parents. 

Memories of his childhood flooded back. He remembered his 8th birthday party, his mom invited all his friends from school, and she ended up passed out on the sofa. Another time, he hosted a party after completing secondary school, and both his parents got drunk and started arguing then physically fighting. His friends all left quickly giving him pitying looks as they left. They often used him against one another just to hurt each other. He learned quickly to just lock himself away when the drinking started. It was no wonder that he moved across the country and hadn’t seen nor spoken to either of his parents in over five years.

He was closing up for the night when Ella traipsed into the shop. He was bent down locking up the till when he heard the bell over the door. He called out, “Sorry, we’re closed.”

“Even to me?” Ella purred. 

Nicky stood up and smiled at her, “Hey Ella, what are you doing here?”

She pouted, “I don’t need a reason to see my boyfriend do I? Besides, I wanted to apologize for being snappish lately. You know my work is everything and I’m just so stressed over the new pieces.” Nicky didn’t know she had new pieces she was working on, he hadn’t seen her working in her studio that he knew of. 

“I didn’t realize you had new pieces. What’s the problem with them?”

Frustrated she cried, “That’s your problem Nicky! You never notice anything! I don’t know why I keep trying with you!” 

Nicky walked over and locked the door, “Elladine, talk to me, what’s going on? I thought we were good, but the past few weeks I can’t do anything right.”

“You’re right we do need to talk. You’re...You…” she took a deep breath and blurted out, “You’re stuck in a rut Nicky and you don’t even notice it! You’re so happy to just stay here and do the exact same thing day after day. I want adventure, parties, people who appreciate my art!” She shook her head derisively, “You had so much promise when we started dating. I really thought you’d do something with your music, but you’re just letting it go to waste here!”

At Nicky’s shocked stare, she got angrier, “See, this is what I’m talking about! You didn’t even notice we had a problem! Look, you’re a nice guy, but I need more than this dead little village.”

“Ella, why didn’t you tell me you were unhappy? Let’s talk about this, I really care about you...”

Exasperated, Elladine threw up her hands, “Nicky, I’ve been giving you hints forever and you never pick up on it. I said last weekend I wanted to go to the city, but no, you said you wanted to stay and go to the pub with your friends.”

Nicky tried to pull her into his arms but she pushed him away, “Look, I’m leaving. I’ve had art agents contacting me about doing a showing in London in January.”

“What? That’s great! I’m happy for you, let’s go back to my flat and talk about it.”

Irritation crossed her features, “You still don’t get it. I’m closing the shop. I’ve broken the lease, I’m moving to the city after Christmas.” At Nicky’s stunned silence she went on coldly, “I don’t want to go to your flat, I don’t want to talk it over, I’ve made up my mind. We’re over, I need more from someone who claims to be my boyfriend.” 

Without another word or look, she walked out the door. Nicky felt like he’d been sucker punched he was so stunned. Was she right? _Was_ he in a rut? He thought he had built a nice life here. He had his music, his students, friends, he was happy, content. He shrugged into his coat, turned off the main lights and walked out. He just stood there a moment not knowing what to do next. 

He started walking and found himself in front of the pub. He walked in and Tai called out, “Nicky! What’s up man, it’s only Thursday.” When Nicky didn’t respond he looked up, and came around the bar. “Dude, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Nicky looked up at him with confusion all over his face “Ella just broke up with me. She’s moving to the city.” 

Tai hugged him tight, “Aww man, I’m so sorry. Listen, go sit by the fire, and I’ll bring you a drink.” Tai watched his friend walk over to a table next to the roaring fire and sit. He poked his head in the back and asked AJ to watch the bar. He brought over two tumblers and a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black and poured them each a glass. “Tell me what happened.”

Nicky told him of the arguments and misunderstandings of the last couple weeks, up to tonight’s revelation that she was leaving and she didn’t want him. “She said I’m stuck in a rut.” He sighed, “Maybe she’s right. I thought I was happy, I thought **_we_ **were happy.” He took a large sip of whiskey, “What should I do, man? Do I go after her?” Nicky just stared into his glass as if it held all the answers.

When the bell over the door jingled, Tai looked up and saw Beth walk in and look around. He smiled to himself, then said, “That’s up to you man, but nothing has to be decided tonight. I’ll have Amber bring you over tonight’s special and you can just relax and think about everything.”

***************

That afternoon, Beth met with Chelsea and they decided on the themes for each room. The formal parlor would be her Champagne Elegance idea, the family room would be the Childhood Memories theme that Beth proposed. The dining room would have an extensive Christmas Village, and the library was themed The Polar Express. There would be trains running all throughout the room. The powder rooms would be Nutcracker themed. She even included a Santa theme for the kitchen. The hall and staircase would be a Winter Wonderland with tree boughs and fairy lights. It sounded amazing and she couldn’t wait to see the transformation. After Chelsea left, her phone rang with a call from Genevieve.

“Hey Gen! What’s up?” 

“You’ve been cooped up all week, you need to get out, wanna meet at the pub for dinner? Mum and Dad are meeting clients at the club and I don’t want to cook!” Beth agreed to meet her in an hour. “It’s raining and icy, are you comfortable driving?”

“I think so, it’s not that far to the pub and I’ll take the Range Rover.”

“Good idea, I’ll see you soon.”

Beth climbed the stairs to her room to change out of her sweats. She dressed in a well worn pair of jeans and an oversized flannel button down, and her cowboy boots. She pulled her hair into a french braid and swiped some mascara on her lashes and coated her lips in Chapstick rather than lipgloss. She looked at herself in the mirror; she wasn’t trying to impress anyone tonight. She grabbed her coat, scarf and the cowgirl hat she wore the last time she went to the pub. 

Beth arrived 20 minutes early and found a parking spot close to the door. She was pelted with freezing rain on the short walk from the car to the door. She was shaking off the ice when she walked into the pub. She quickly scanned the empty tables looking for Gen, but didn’t see her yet. 

“Beth! What brings you out tonight?” Tai said walking over to her.

“I’m meeting Gen for dinner, she said I’ve been cooped up too long.” Her phone rang and she said, “Excuse me, it's her now. Hey Gen…”

“Hey! I hope you haven’t left yet, I’ve been called into an emergency surgery. A dog was hit by a car. I’m so sorry, I won’t be able to meet you for dinner. ”

“That’s alright, I understand. I just got here so I’ll have a meal and go back home. Don’t worry about me. I hope the dog is okay.” She hung up and looked at Tai, “So, it’s just me for dinner I guess.”

Tai gestured over at Nicky sitting by himself staring into the fire. “Actually, why don’t you go keep him company? He’s had a rough day.”

Beth’s stomach jumped at the mention of Nicky. She walked over to his table and stood there. When he didn’t look up she touched his arm gently startling him out of his thoughts.

“Hey. I didn’t mean to scare you. Tai said you’ve had a rough day. Would you like some company?”

“Uh, sure, I guess.” 

Beth was uncomfortable, “I don’t have to if you’d rather be alone.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I’m just…” he trailed off and sipped his drink.

Cautiously Beth pulled out a chair and sat down. She removed her coat and hat and placed them on the empty chair beside her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Nicky looked up at her, she was dressed more casually than the last time he saw her, “Ella broke up with me.” 

“I’m so sorry. I, um, what happened?” He repeated the story again, and Beth asked him, “Are you happy?” At his incredulous look, she snorted and said, “I don’t mean right at this moment, but with your life in general. Are you happy? Do you think it’s small and unexciting?”

While he thought about that, Tai brought over two shepherds pies, a pint for Nicky and a hot chocolate for Beth. “On the house.” He winked at Beth when she started to argue.

Nicky looked at Beth and said “You know, I thought I was happy. Compared to what she said she wanted, I guess my life is small, but I liked it. I liked having a routine that fit. I never wanted to try and make it in the music business. I was happy with the small crowds here at the pub. Maybe I should want more though.”

“Why?”

“Huh?”

Beth chewed another bite then asked again, “Why should you want more if you are happy with your life? Why do you need more? Why are you letting someone else decide how big or small your life should be?”

Nicky opened his mouth to answer but closed it again. 

“I just mean, if you’re happy with your life and it is meaningful to you, why would you want that to change? It sounds to me that she was trying to turn you into something you’re not. I think you’re great just the way you are.” She blushed slightly at that, but held his gaze.

“You might be right.” He smiled slightly “Thanks for sitting with me, it helps to talk it out. You’re a good friend.”

Beth’s heart dropped, he just friend-zoned her, again. She had to get over her attraction to this man, he didn’t want her like that. She smiled slightly and said, “Give me your phone.” When he handed it over she typed her number into it and called herself. “Now you have my number. If you need a friend, just call or text me.”

They sat and chatted for another hour before Beth said, “I really should be getting back. I’m still new to driving on the opposite side of the road and it’s even more challenging in the dark.” Nicky laughed and stood up with her. He helped her with her coat, and they stood there awkwardly.

Nicky went with his impulse and hugged her, “Thanks for everything, you made my crappy night much better.”

Beth flushed and pulled away, “You’re welcome. I’ll see you around.”

Tai walked up to him as he watched her go, “She’s pretty, yeah?” When Nicky looked at him he just grinned and walked away. Nicky turned back to the door, but she was already gone. He disagreed with Tai, she wasn’t pretty, she was gorgeous, but she was his friend. He couldn’t let himself start to feel for her. Because, just like Ella she wasn’t staying around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a shorter "filler" chapter, but I wrote myself into a corner and needed a way out of it. :) 
> 
> I do have a direction with the story, it's going to take a little bit to get there. It won't stay boring I promise!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's ready and enjoyed the story so far, your kudos and comments mean so much.


	6. Twas the Night Before Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth and Gen are getting ready for the Christmas Eve welcome home party that was supposed to just be a few friends, but has exploded into a large gathering causing Beth anxiety.

Gen was feeling melancholy as she finished updating patient files. It was her last day with Dr. Weston and the staff had thrown her a going away party, that included, to her amusement, a dog bone shaped cake. She would miss them all but was so excited to finally start her own practice. The hit and run dog was recovering well. Her injuries weren't as severe as Gen feared. She had some abrasions from being rubbed on the pavement, and a broken back leg that would take time to heal, but overall, she was very healthy. The dog, a mix of beagle and basset hound, was no older than two years but small for her age. She was slightly emaciated which told Gen that she had been on her own for quite some time. She wasn't microchipped and no one had reported her missing.

Gen had fallen in love with her immediately and named her Holly for Christmas. She quickly decided that she was keeping her, since she didn’t have the heart to turn her over to the shelter. She knew her mother’s stance on pets, but she would be moving into the flat above her shop soon, and would be able to spend more time with her. Holly pawed her leg and when Gen looked down her tail wagged gently. She picked her up and placed the dog in her lap for a cuddle while she finished up. When her phone chimed with an incoming text, butterflies tickled her stomach:

_ JAKE: hey gorgeous! What u doin _

_ GEN: just finishing up some paperwork before i leave _

_ JAKE: i miss ur face. We havent seen each other in forever :( _

_ GEN: awww! I miss you too :) _

_ GEN: ur still coming sat right? _

_ JAKE: yeah! Should i wear my chef whites? ;) _

_ GEN: lol that would make a statement _

_ GEN: but… _

_ JAKE: what? _

_ GEN: I’M SO SORRY!!! _

_ GEN: it’s now black tie!! It was only supposed to be a welcome home dinner for Beth but now it’s this big thing!! _

_ JAKE: jesus! Is taht all? _

_ JAKE: babe its fine.. I’ll just see what i can get at the tux shop _

_ GEN: NO! Don’t waste your money just wear a jacket and tie you’ll be fine _

_ JAKE: are you sure _

_ GEN: YES! You could come naked and id be happy ;) _

_ JAKE: lol! Ill see what i can do! ;) _

_ GEN: can i call you later? I gotta get the crew out one last time before i go _

_ JAKE: absolutely babe! Ill talke to you late. _

She looked down at a squirming puppy in her lap, “Need to go outside?” Holly wiggled and tried to lick her face. Gen laughed, “No jumping! Come on baby.” She set her on the floor and got her leash from the wall. She took Holly out back and let her do her business. She repeated the process with the other dogs and shut down the computer and locked up for the last time. 

“Ready to go home?”

Holly wiggled her butt so hard she fell over making Gen laugh. She already purchased a kennel, dog bed, dishes, and all the other things she felt her fur baby needed. She left her keys in the reception’s desk drawer, set the alarm and walked out to her car. On her way home she called Beth, “Hey Babe! What are you doing?”

“I’m walking through a winter wonderland, Chelsea did an amazing job! Are you on your way home? I can’t wait for someone to see it!”

“I am! I should be there in about half an hour with a surprise of my own. What did you do today other than oversee the decorations?”

“Nothing really. I drove into town earlier just to practice but that’s all.”

Genevieve could hear the pout in her friend’s voice. “Are you getting a bit restless?”

“YES! I am so grateful to you and your folks, but Gen, I’m Bored!” 

Genevieve laughed, “Well tomorrow we’re going to CiCi’s then mum is having a team of stylists come to the house to get us ready for the party!” Hearing Beth’s small sigh, she added, “Tell you what, when I get home, I’ll get in my PJ’s and we can have a girl’s night. We’ll watch old movies and talk and eat junk food.”

“Okay sounds good. I’ll see you soon, be careful.”

Gen knew her friend was restless, she was never one to be idle for too long. Honestly, it surprised her that Beth hadn’t said something before now. 

***************

Closing the door behind her, Genevieve felt like she walked into a snowglobe! This was beyond anything Chelsea had done before! She set Holly down to sniff and called out, “Beth! Hey! Where are you?” She was hanging up her coat when Beth rushed down the hall. She stopped as soon as she saw the little dog.

“Who is this sweetie?” she crouched down to let the puppy sniff her hand and jump on her with adoring licks.

Laughing she sat down and examined the pup. Looking up at Gen, “Is this the injured dog from the other week?” At Gen’s nod she continued her assessment. “She’s a little banged up and emaciated, but she looks really healthy. What are you doing with her?” At Gen’s guilty look, she laughed long and hard. “See? Professor Grainger was right! Work in the animal hospital and you end up with foster fails. That’s one of the main reasons I’m a traveling vet, it’s pretty hard to bring home a stray cow or horse!”

“I know, I know but look at her, I couldn’t leave her to the shelter! Besides, I’ll be moving to the flat above the clinic soon, so mum won’t feel too guilty about having a pet when no one is home. She said if the staff wanted a pet they would get one, she wasn’t going get one only to make them care for it.” 

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“What did you name her??”

Grinning, “Holly. For Christmas.”

Beth gently took the dog’s paw in her hand, “It’s nice to meet you Holly.” When she started sniffing the floor, Beth said, “Uh-oh. I’ll take her out if you want to get settled.”

“That sounds great. I’ll be down in a bit.”

Once in her room she texted Jake to let him know she was home that she was going to hang out with Beth who seemed down. He replied that it was fine, he was going to the gym then meeting up with some friends. She put her phone on the charger, washed her face and put on her most comfy pj’s.

She met Beth and Holly in the kitchen where she had burgers and fries waiting for Gen. Holly was happily eating her dog food. While they ate, Beth shared, “Your folks got stuck in the city so no one’s seen this yet! Chelsea is amazing at her job. She recreated my childhood Christmas from just a few stories I told her.” When they cleaned up, Beth said, “Let me give you the grand tour!”

Beth started in the formal parlor. Everything was tastefully decorated in shades of white, cream and gold. “This is what she called Champagne Elegance!” Gen had to agree that is exactly what the room looked like. The white tree was easily 10 feet tall and was decorated in clear lights with hand blown ornaments and wide gold velvet ribbon. Along the mantle were more lights with gold and cream swags. 

“Wow! This is incredible! Mum will love this!”

“I know! Wait till you see the rest!”

Beth showed her the extensive Christmas Village in the dining room, the multiple train boards in the library, and the nutcrackers in the powder rooms. She saved the family room for last. 

Beth stood before the closed door “This is my favorite.” She opened the door, and the first thing Gen saw was the enormous live tree with multicolored lights, brightly mismatched ornaments, red and white candy canes and paper garland hanging from the tree. There were stockings for each of them hanging from the mantle and a smaller train running around the base! The smell was indescribable, it smelled like freshness and winter. There were snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and electric candles in the windows. Gen could easily see why this was Beth’s favorite room, it felt like home.

Beth was biting her lip waiting for Gen’s reaction. 

“Babe! I can’t believe this! I don’t ever want to take this down. This is Christmas! You did an amazing job. Mum will be beside herself. She won’t ever let you leave!”

Beth laughed and they settled into the blankets on the soft to watch Hallmark Christmas movies.

***************

After the second movie, Gen turned off the television and asked, “OK you’ve been fidgeting all night. What do you have to tell me that you don’t want to?”

Beth huffed a laugh, “I forget how observant you are. I’m trying to….I’m thinking I…” she sighed. 

“Just spit it out.”

“I’m going to go home the day after Christmas.” 

“What?! Why?”

“You have been so generous, but I don’t have anything to do and as much as I love you all...I’m bored! Plus, I need to figure out what I’m going to do next.”

“You could stay. You could get a job here, actually you could work with me!”

“That is really nice, but you and I both know I don’t want to work in a clinic every day. I like traveling around.” She blew out a big breath, “Aaand, I’ve been getting calls from the Wyoming Livestock Commission. They found enough evidence to prosecute Derrick McAllister and Dr. Franklin for insurance fraud plus other charges they won’t tell me about. They want me to testify at their trial. Which is just after the first of the year.” 

“Why do you look worried?”

“Well, when I first got here I was getting calls and texts from both Derrick McAllister and Dr. Franklin. They threatened if they found out it was me who called the insurance company they’d ruin me. I didn’t think anything of it, I just thought they were mouthing off, so I blocked them. But… I got a call from one of the vets and they said that he’s trying to blackball me from ever working with another traveling veterinary service. There are reports showing up that I misdiagnosed a herd and half died. It’s not true and I keep meticulous notes...and I have a backup just in case.”

“Oh. My. God! That’s terrible, they can’t do that, can they?”

“Dr. Franklin is pretty powerful in the community, if he’s successful in blackballed me, I may need to look into moving to another state, like Montana or Utah. I’m gonna fight it, with my backup notes, it shouldn’t be a problem. At Gen’s angered look she went on, “Look, I’m not going to let these bastards intimidate me! I’ll be happy to testify if it puts their asses behind bars!

“Well, before you do anything, talk to mum, she can help you find an attorney in the states that can help you. We can get you protection, private security…”

“I don’t think that’s necessary. They aren’t stupid enough to get violent, especially when they’re under a microscope already.”

“But you  **_will_ ** talk to mum about this. She can at least tell you what to expect at the trial.” 

Beth could see the worry on her friend’s face and said, “Yes I’ll talk to you mom before I go. I’ll need to meet with the commission and give my deposition before New Year’s.”

Gen hugged her tight “I’m so worried, let me know when you get there and where you’re staying. I want you to call me every day, I don’t care what time it is. Promise me!” She held out her pink finger for the promise.

Beth linked her pink to Gen’s and promised. 

***************

The next day Beth and Gen drove to CiCi’s, an upscale boutique in the village. There were dresses in every shade and style. Beth wasn’t sure what would look good on her body. She wasn’t ashamed being a size 16, but she was larger than most women she knew. Hopefully there would be something there that would not only fit her that didn’t look like someone's old curtains.

Gen walked in and called out, “CiCi? We’re here!” Beth stared at the woman who walked out from the back. The woman that walked out was as round as she was tall, with smile lines around her eyes and mouth. She wore a 50’s style dress and her shocking pink hair was in a pinup girl style with a polkadot bandana. Black cat’s eye glasses finished her look. 

“Hello Darlings! We are going to have such fun today! Are you ready?” She air kissed each girl and led them to the back of the store when she had two dressing rooms all ready for them. 

“So, Genevieve I’ve got the most perfect dress picked out for you, it’s hanging in the Grable room.” Beth looked at the four dressing rooms, each held posters of a different pin up girl, Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner and Jane Russell. 

Gen walked in and squealed, “CiCi, you’ve done it again!”

She laughed and told her to try it on. While Gen was changing, she turned to Beth, “You look uncomfortable my dear. Yes, I have dresses that will fit. I specialize in larger sizes. Did you know that the average size of a woman your age in the UK is 18-20? Anyone under 10 is an anomaly.” 

Beth was unsure how to respond, but CiCi went on. “Let’s start slow, what colors do you favor?”

She thought of her pitiful wardrobe, and the many, many, mens flannel shirts she had, “Um, well I guess I like blues and greens. I don’t usually wear dresses, and never anything like these.” She blushed deeply, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that like it sounded.”

CiCi smiled and waved her apology away, “I know what you meant dear. Alright, next what size are you?”

“Oh um, I’m a size sixteen but I don’t know what that is in UK sizing. Are you sure you have something that will fit and not make me look like someone’s old sofa?” 

“Of course my dear! As I told you the fashion industry is woefully behind the times…” 

“Don’t get her started! CiCi will be on her soapbox all day!” Gen laughed from behind the dressing room door.

“Hush brat! I’m putting your friend’s mind to rest.”

“Please call me Beth.”

CiCi grinned and held out her hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Beth. Trust me, I have something in mind for you already. Have a seat and I’ll bring them into the Rita Hayworth room.” She led Beth to a surprisingly comfortable chaise bench and went into the back to get the dresses.

Gen walked out in a shiny silver one shoulder dress with a slit up to her thigh. “Well?” She turned this way and that in front of the mirrors.

Beth breathed, “Wow, you look like a princess.” CiCi grinned and hurried to check the fit of the dress. “I knew this was the one. It fits you beautifully and doesn’t need any alterations.” She fussed a bit more with the dress then turned to Beth, “Alright dear, it’s your turn.”

Beth walked into the dressing room. She was ashamed to admit, even to herself that she usually bought her clothes online and oversized to ensure they fit. 

Hanging in the room were three dresses, each prettier than the next. She undressed and took down the first. Her fears came true when the amber dress fit way too small, she couldn’t even get the zipper up the back. 

“What’s taking so long?” Gen called. 

Beth walked out, shame and misery written all over her face. The yellowish orange tulle ball gown with a sweetheart neckline was so small she barely breathe.

“Nope, even if the dress fit perfectly, the color is all wrong for you, dear.” Look at Beth’s face she went on, “Don’t despair, the next one may be the one you love.” 

Beth walked back into the dressing room and struggled to get the dress off. She gently hung it up and pulled down the second. It was a black V-necked mermaid style with a large flower pattern running from breast to thigh. It didn’t look as bad as she thought it would, but this one was too big.

When she walked out, Gen beamed, “Wow that’s an interesting gown! I love the flower, but it looks a bit big.” 

CiCi looked at her critically and said, “Hmmm, not quite there yet.” Beth looked at Gen who shrugged her shoulders. Back in the dressing room, she carefully removed the dress and placed it back on the hanger. 

Discouraged, she sat down on the bench in the room. This was hopeless. Did she really need a 2,500£ dress she would only wear once? She looked up when Gen walked in.

“Are you alright? CiCi said there is one more dress for you to try on. She said this is the one she knows will be perfect for you.”

“Gen, what’s the point? It’s more than I can afford, especially since I’m only going to wear it once.” Angry tears burned her eyes. “I can't let you or your parents pay for everything anymore. I’m not a charity case! I know you want me to have something pretty, but all the shopping, spa days, restaurants, and now this dress? It’s too much! I’m not destitute, I can pay for things myself, but I have to make sure that I’m not spending my money on frivolous things!” At Gen’s startled look she went on, “And now I sound like an ungrateful Bitch. I’m sorry, I knew your parents had money, but being here I just didn’t realize how much.”

“Beth....I’m sorry, we just wanted to make you feel part of the family, and it seems we’ve done just the opposite.” She looked down at her hands. “I wanted you to feel like a princess for one night. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or your pride.”

CicCi walked into the dressing room at that moment and said, “My dear, I overheard your conversation and I think I have something that will work with your body type as well as your pocketbook. If you’ll allow me?” At Beth’s nod, she took the gowns and walked out of the room.

Beth sniffed, “Great, now I’ve upset the shop owner. She’s going to put me in a paisley patterned mumu!”

Gen couldn’t help it, she laughed, then snorted then laughed some more. Beth’s lips twitched until she was laughing. 

CiCi was grinning widely when she walked in with a dress for Beth. “No I am not putting you in a mumu! This one is much less expensive, and happens to be on sale as well.” At Beth’s dubious look she went on, “Really! A client ordered it and then at the last minute decided to go in a different direction, which she shouldn’t have if you asked me. This one is only 200£.”

Beth gazed at the beautiful long sleeved A-line gown with a plunging neckline. The dress shimmered a silky metallic blue and green. Gen and CiCi left the room so she could try it on. Beth took the beautiful dress from the hanger and carefully put it on. It fit perfectly. She walked out and looked at herself in the mirror. CiCi asked, “Well, what do you think?”

“This is the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen.”

“And it fits like a hand in a glove!” Gen gushed.

CiCi just smiled and said, “I knew it. You feel like it's the right one, yes?”

Beth nodded, unable to look away from the mirror. 

“Alright ladies, I think we have our dresses! Leave them with me and I’ll have them cleaned and pressed and delivered to you this afternoon.”

Back in the car, Beth apologized again, “Gen. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so ungrateful…”

Gen said, “No, it’s me that should apologize. Let’s be honest, I don’t think about money or the cost of something because I haven’t needed to. I tell you what, Let’s go eat lunch, your treat, then go back home and rest before getting ready for the party.”

“Sounds perfect. I think it’s going to be an interesting night.” 

While Gen drove to the restaurant, she wondered for the hundredth time if Nicky would be there. Did he get back together with Elladine? As much as she tried, she couldn’t get him out of her head. He was not only the best looking man she’d ever seen, but he was kind and funny and really talented. She enjoyed talking to him at the pub all those weeks ago. They had texted sporadically since then but mostly funny memes or ‘how are you’ messages. She should text him to see if he’s coming to the party, he mentioned he was invited.

_ BETH: hey! You there? _

_ NICKY: sry! Yeah kid just elft _

_ NICKY: sometimes i hate those arrogant little shits _

_ BETH: lol! Uh-oh what happened?? _

_ NICKY: he didnt practice all wkee and when moom asked i called him out. Little arsehole tried to blame me! _

_ BETH: lol! Did she believe him? _

_ NICKY: no thank god but still… _

_ NICKY: anyway what’s up? _

_ BETH: i’m curious _

_ NICKY: about _

_ BETH: ummmm i know you said you were iinvited _

_ NICKY spit it out b :) _

_ BETH: r u coming tonite? _

_ NICKY: ????? _

_ BETH: the party? _

_ BETH: at gens? _

_ BETH: tnite? _

_ NICKY: party?? _

_ BETH: omg  _

_ BETH: u dont remember _

_ NICKY: jk! Lol :D _

_ BETH: you jerk ;) _

_ NICKY: hahaha _

_ NICKY: yeah im planning on coming _

_ NICKY: r u? _

_ BETH: of course i am  _

_ BETH: r u bringing anyone? _

_ NICKY: like a date? ;) _

_ BETH: yeah _

_ BETH: like a date _

_ BETH: are you bringing a date??? _

_ NICKY: just seb _

_ NICKY: im staying at his tonight _

_ BETH: oh _

_ BETH: good :) _

_ BETH: i guess ill see you later then _

_ NICKY: i guess you will _

_ BETH: cant wait! _

Beth grinned to herself the rest of the way home, it was going to be a good night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with the story so far. It is interesting as a writer (I use that term very loosely) to see how each chapter differs from my outline once the characters start speaking to me. 
> 
> I really hope you are enjoying the story and the blossoming relationship not only with Nicky but also with Genevieve. As always, if you have comments or critiques please let me know I welcome them all, and if you are enjoying the story drop me a message or a kudos! :)


	7. Dancing at Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's party time and everyone is dressed to kill!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! We get to a little romance! I hope you enjoyed this chapter it was so much fun to write!

It was early evening on Christmas Eve, and Beth found herself in a stylist’s chair in the upstair’s parlor. She was sipping on peppermint tea and trying to calm her nerves. She never attended a party like this in her life and she was afraid she would say or do something that would embarrass Vika and Henry. Genevieve was in the chair next to her sipping her own cup of tea and trying to talk Beth down from a full blown panic attack.

“You’ll be fine, trust me! You won’t need to remember anyone’s name, you will probably never see them again.”

“Uhh. I know, I hate crowds and you know I’ve never been to anything like this. Please, just walk me through it again?”

“Okay, once we are done here, there will be photographs with family and close friends or colleagues of my parents.”

“How many people?”

“I don’t know, maybe ten or twelve? Anyway, once the rest of the guests start to arrive, we will stand in a receiving line. People will walk down and shake our hands and say hello. It’s really no big deal and no one will expect you to know or remember names. It’s terribly old fashioned and I don’t know why we do it but mum insists.”

“And how many people are expected again?

“Around 150 or so.” Gen watched Beth blanch under her makeup, “I promise I won’t leave you alone. Unless you want to be left alone.” She winked at her.

Beth glared at her, “You leave me and I’ll put sand in your sheets again.”

Gen laughed at the memory of the prank. “Don't you dare! I was washing sand out of my bed for weeks after that. Moving on, after everyone has gone through the line, then we mingle. Then dinner will be announced. When we’re finished, we go out into the garden for dancing. Then we can relax and party.”

Beth took a deep breath and winced as the stylist pulled her hair again. Vika poked her head into the parlor, “Girls, you should be finishing up, the first of the guests are due to arrive soon.”

Beth’s stylist said, “Voila! A masterpiece!”

She looked in the mirror and she had to admit her hair was beautifully styled in some sort of half up half down, braid and curls. She was wearing more makeup than she ever had before and was even wearing false eyelashes! The both went to change into their gowns and met at the top of the stairs.

“We look fabulous! Nicky is going to lose the power of speech when he sees you!”

“What? No! We’re just friends. He just broke up with Elladine, he’s not ready to date again.”

“I don’t think so. You should see the way he was looking at you at the karaoke night. Plus he  _ did  _ sing to you and haven’t you two been texting ever since?”

“What about you? Jake is going to lose his mind when he sees you! He might even propose on the spot.” Gen blushed deep red at that.

Beth loved seeing her friend so besotted. 

“We haven’t even said the big words yet.”

Beth laughed, “Well I bet you anything, you’ll hear them tonight. In fact, I’ll put money on it!”

“You’d bet on my love life? That’s so sad, but I hope you’re right. He’s the one. I love him so much, he’s everything I’ve ever wanted.” She bit her lip, “I might even say it to him first!”

The girls giggled as they walked downstairs, Vika sighed at the picture they made. Both were so beautiful, she almost got misty eyed. “Girls, you look lovely. It was worth the wait.”

Henry walked over and kissed both girls on the forehead, “My girls, you’ve grown into such beautiful women inside and out. I’m so proud of you both.”

***************

Beth felt like she had been standing in the receiving line for hours, her cheeks were numb from keeping the polite smile on her face. To amuse herself, she tried to make Gen break into laughter.

“Do you hear sleigh bells?? I really think Santa’s coming! I hear him!”

Gen’s shoulders shook as she held in her laugh. She discreetly looked into the hall and the door had finally closed. 

“Sorry camper, no Santa yet. But I’m sure there is someone there you want to see.”

Beth gave her a puzzled looked before her attention was drawn away again with the next guest. 

“Hello, it’s lovely to meet you.”

The curmudgeonly old many pulled her closer to him and looked up at her, “Who are you?”

Smiling, “I’m Elizabeth, a friend of Genevieve’s from university.” 

He harumfed at her, “Well, you don’t look like them. What are you?”

She gritted out through clenched teeth, “I’m a human being sir. Thank you for coming tonight.” She tried to pull her hand away and move him along. 

“I don’t like it. You don’t belong here with the rest of them.” With that he stomped away his can ringing out with each step.

Beth whispered to Gen, “Who. The Fuck. Was That?”

Gen turned and looked at the old man who was walking into the parlor. “Oh that’s Sir Edward Wainwright, he’s crabby old bastard. My dad worked for him when he first moved here from Nigeria. Dad said he was a wizard with finance, but since his stroke last year, he’s become unbearable. Ignore him.”

“Well this is getting tiresome. I’m gonna walk any second now.”

Gen smirked, and nodded her head toward the doorway, “Are you sure?”

Beth looked over and saw Nicky smiling and speaking to Gen’s parents. She thought he looked sexy in well worn jeans and button downs, but in a tuxedo, he was HOT! It had been fitted to accentuate his trim but muscular physique. His one concession to his personal style was his black and blue Vans. The biggest surprise was that he had his dreadlocks removed and his hair was styled to highlight his natural ringlet curls. That coupled with his neatly trimmed facial scruff made Beth’s mouth water and her cheeks flush. 

“He cleans up good, yeah?”

“I, uh...yeah, he… yes.” She took a deep breath and tried again, “He looks amazing, I almost didn’t recognize him.”

At that moment, Nicky turned and his eyes met Beth’s, and his mouth dropped open. He stepped away from them mid-sentence and walked directly up to Beth. Vika laughed quietly and whispered to Henry,

“I supposed he didn’t care to finish his thought.”

“I believe you’re right, love. I think our girl has caught his eye.” He looked at his wife lovingly, “He looks at her the same way I’ve been looking at you for the past twenty nine years.” He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles, “Did I tell you how ravishing you look this evening?” His gaze raked her slim body draped in rose gold silk gown. “I love your dress. I believe the saying goes ‘it will look wonderful on our bedroom floor’.” 

Vika let out a girlish giggle, “Henry! Shush.” 

“Wow, Beth, you...You look incredible.”

Blushing deeper, “Thank you. You look amazing too! You changed your hair!” 

_ ‘Oh my god, Beth, really??? Don’t be so lame!’  _ she thought to herself.

“I did. I thought it was time for a change, new me and all.” He grinned at her. Once again getting lost in each other’s gaze. They were startled back to the present when Gen cleared her throat. “Hey Nicky, looking sharp.”

Blinking Nicky stepped back, “Oh, uh sorry. Hi Gen, you look beautiful too.” His eyes kept straying back to Beth.

Laughing, “Uh huh. I just bet. So, why don’t we catch up in a bit? You’re holding up the line.”

“Oh shit! Sorry.” Kissing Beth’s hand, he said, “I’ll be sure to find you.”

Beth watched him as he walked away. He turned around and winked at her over his shoulder before walking into the parlor. Gen mimed fanning herself, “Whoo! That was hot! I felt the heat from you too across the room.”

Beth was saved from responding when the next guest in line shook her hand. After what felt like hours Gen nudged her, 

“Okay we’re done.” 

“Finally! I didn’t think it would ever end!” She looked around, “Where’s Jake? You said he was coming tonight right? Did I miss him?”

“No, you didn’t miss him, yes he’s coming, he said he would be a little late.”

Beth didn’t miss her worried expression. 

“If he said he’ll be here, he will. Don’t worry.”

Just as she finished, the door opened and in walked a man who looked like a young Marlon Brando. His suit did little to hide the muscles beneath. His dark hair looked like he’d run his fingers through it several times. Beth nodded to the front door

“I think you have one more guest.”

Gen turned around and giggled. She rushed over and hugged him.

“You made it! I was so worried.”

He bent down and kissed her softly before staring into her eyes, “I wouldn’t miss this for anything. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” ‘

Beth knew she should turn away, it was a private moment, but she’d never seen Gen so in love. She shook herself and turned to walk into the parlor when Gen called her name.

“Beth! I want you to meet Jake. Jake, this is my best friend ever!”

“Beth, we finally meet! I’ve heard a lot about you.” He said kissing her cheek.

Laughing Beth said, “I’m sure. It’s nice to meet you too. I’ve heard  _ all  _ about you as well.” 

Gen’s eyes widened when her father walked into the hall. “Genevieve, is the young man you’ve been hiding from us?” 

“Dad!”

Henry walked over and looked Jake up and down. “I’m Henry Njoku, Genevieve’s father and you are?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you sir. I’m Jake Wilson, the man who is in love with your daughter.”

Shocked Gen looked at Beth then at Jake. “You love me?”

He looked down at her, “How could I not? You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.” He brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek and leaned down to kiss her sweetly. Turning to her father he said, “I am sorry I haven’t been able to meet you before now sir.”

“And why is that?”

“I’m a private chef and am building my clientele. Up until now I’ve been booked solid for a while. I just met with my business manager, and I am finally able to hire the additional chefs so I can actually take some time off. I am in love with your daughter, sir, and I am hoping in time she will love me back.”

“Well, I can’t fault a man with priorities and who honors his commitments. You seem to care for my daughter quite deeply, so I will only say this once, welcome to my home, but if you hurt one hair on her head, I will ship your body back to Nigeria and no one will ever know.”

He shook his hand once more, and walked back to his guests.

“I’m so embarrassed!!”

Jake grinned, “No, don’t be, I would be the same with our daughter.” At winked and grinned her shocked look.

“Oh my god.” 

Jake laughed and extended his arms to both girls and they walked into the parlor together.

***************

Dinner was a lavish affair, and Beth lost count of how many courses she had been served. It was all so amazing. Nicky hadn’t been seated close enough to talk, but she could watch him talk to the girls around him. If she was honest with herself, she was a bit jealous. She was so distracted by him, she had a hard time following the conversation around her. Each time he looked up and caught her staring, he would smile or wink at her causing her to blush.

Henry stood, grabbed the wireless microphone and addressed the room,

“If I may?” When the room quieted, he continued, “Thank you, Vika and I are so happy to have the opportunity to welcome you all to our home once again this year. Christmas time, regardless of your religion, is a time to slow down and appreciate the gifts of family and friends and to cherish those around you. This year we are especially pleased to host a very special guest this year, Elizabeth Littlestar from America is here to celebrate with us. Darling we are so happy to have you with us this year, it feels like the holidays are complete” Beth’s face heats with embarrassment.

He turns back to the room, “Alright, Vika is giving me the sign to wrap it up, I’ll just finish by saying, thank you all for coming and we hope you enjoy yourselves this evening!”

Applause erupts and the french doors leading to the garden where an impromptu ballroom has been erected with fairy lights, heaters and an enormous dance floor, and a DJ have been set up.

Beth was awestruck when she walked in with Gen and Jake. 

“This is incredible! Did Chelsea do this as well?”

“I’m not sure but it’s a good possibility, especially with all the fairy lights.” 

The first strains of a waltz brought several couples onto the dance floor, and Jake takes Gen’s hand and leads her out. Beth couldn’t help but be happy for her friend. She watched the couples dance by for a while before going back into the parlor. She was surprised to see that the dining tables had quickly been removed and replaced by several bars along the walls. She walked over to one and asked for sparkling water, the bartender asked, “Not drinking tonight? It's an open bar you know.”

“Oh, I know, I just don’t drink.”

“Really? Well in that case, do you want that in a regular glass or a champagne flute to be fancy?” She grinned at Beth.

“What the hell, let’s be fancy!”

“You are looking all kinds of fancy tonight!”

Beth spun and found Nicky behind her. Her heartbeat sped up as she smiled up at him. 

“You know me, the fancier the better!” 

He laughed and ordered a scotch on the rocks. Drinks in hand they walked back to the ballroom and watched the dancers.

“I’m surprised they were able to get Big T tonight. He’s one of the hottest DJs right now.”

Beth was so tongue tied, so she replied, “Oh, I didn’t know.”

Nicky looked at her, “Are you nervous Beth?”

“Oh, well, um...maybe? A little? I’m just not used to seeing you so...um…” She trailed off as he moved closer and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

“So what?”

“Hot. Shit! Fuck! Damn! I didn’t mean to say that!”

Nicky’s brows arched and he smirked at her, “You think I’m hot? Just tonight or…” he let the question trail off, and Beth’s nerves got the better of her.

“Oh! Always!” She slapped her hand over her mouth as her cheeks blushed fiery red. “I think I’m needed in the kitchen. I have to check that the gas in the oven is working.”

Head down, she turned to leave, but he grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her back in. His voice dropped lower as he bent to whisper in her ear.

“That’s really convenient, because I’ve always thought you were hot too.”

Her head snapped up so quickly she cracked it against his chin.

“Holy hell woman!”

“Ow! Motherfucker! Shit that hurt!”

He started laughing, “You’ve got some mouth on you!”

“I know, I’m sorry, I curse when I’m nervous or hurt apparently.” 

“Why don’t we take a walk and wait for the stars over my head to clear.” He took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. They walked out into the hall admiring the holiday decor. She told him she worked with the Njoku’s decorator to create a different Christmas theme in each room. They stopped in front of the family room.

“This is my favorite. It reminds me of when I was a kid and my parents were still alive.” She opened the door and the only light came from the banked fire in the fireplace and the glowing lights from the Christmas tree.

“This is incredible. It looks like every child’s dream room for Christmas. I know I would have wanted this when I was little.”

Beth grinned, “Look over here, there’s a miniature train set with tiny people. She led him over to the train beneath the tree and carefully sat on the floor. “I would have played with this for hours. I loved trains and horses when I was a little girl.”

Nicky looked down at the ravishing woman at his feet and felt a fluttering he’d never felt before, not even with Elladine. He sat next to her and watched as she rearranged the people and animals.

“Beth?”

“Hmm?” She looked up and he had moved very close to her.

“I’d like to kiss you now. Will you let me?”

“You...want to kiss me?”

“Very much.” 

He bent his head toward hers and with barely a breath separating their lips he waited for her reply

“Okay.” she whispered.

Beth closed her eyes as she felt his soft lips touch hers. He gently plucked at her bottom lip as his hands came up to frame her face. It was the sweetest, most sensual kiss she ever had. He gently licked the seam of her lips asking for entry. When she parted her lips, he stroked her tongue with his and she could taste the sweet whiskey on him. She shyly touched her tongue to his and explored his mouth. She held on to his forearms for balance as the room began to spin.

She was breathing hard when he pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. 

“I’ve never felt like that before. What are you doing to me Beth?”

He leaned in and kissed her again, more urgently this time. His tongue sought hers in a sexy dance and he moved one hand to her waist and the other to the nape of her neck. He moved his lips to her jaw and down her neck,

“God you’re so sweet.” he whispered when he reached her ear, gently biting the lobe between his teeth. He moved back to her mouth and kissed her with such passion she could only whimper at the onslaught of sensation. 

They jumped apart when the door suddenly opened and Genevieve and Jake walked in.

“Oops! I guess we weren’t the only ones who wanted some privacy.”

Gen laughed at Beth’s flushed face and mussed hair. 

“Oh, well, shit. I mean! We were..umm”

Nicky grinned at her letting her dig herself deeper.

“Yeah, we could see what you were just. We were going to do a little ‘just-ing’ ourselves.”

“Actually Gen, I did have another reason.” 

Gen spun around to see Jake dropping to one knew and open a black velvet box.

“Gen, you know I’ve always told you, you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever met, and I would be nothing without you. You encouraged me to reach for my dreams of owning my own catering company. Now I want the ultimate dream, with you. I already spoke to your father and received his blessing. Gen, I love you more and more than anything in this world. You are my heart and my light. I want to wake up to your sweet face every morning and make love to you each night. If you agree, I will spend the rest of my life making you smile. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

He took her hand and slid a gorgeous blue and white sapphire engagement ring onto her finger.

“Oh my god, oh my god.” She cried, fat tears running down her cheeks.

“Is that a yes?”

“ **_YES!!_ ** Always Yes!”

Jake jumped to his feet and kissed her swiftly and passionately. Beth had a tear running down her cheek as well. She sniffed as she looked at Nicky,

“I’m sorry. That was just so beautiful.”

She rushed over to hug Gen tightly and to ooh and ahh over her ring. Nicky shook Jake’s hand

“Congratulations man. You got yourself a fantastic woman.”

“Thanks mate. Looks like you do too.”

Nicky just smiled. “Yeah, it’s pretty new yet though.”

“We have to go tell your parents!”

Beth shouted. She started dragging a laughing Gen and Jake in her excitement. Nicky followed closely behind the three of them. 

Beth walked as quickly as she could in her stiletto’s over to Vika and Henry. She apologized to the couple they were speaking with “I’m sorry to interrupt, but this can’t wait.” 

She dragged them over to a beaming Gen and Jake. Henry, already knowing what was coming just smiled.

“My goodness, darling! What on earth…”

Gen held out her left hand and said,

“Jake proposed and I said yes!”

For several moments Vika just stood there looking at her daughter. Memories of her only child flooding her.

“Darling?” Henry asked. 

“Oh my darlings! I’m so happy for you!” She hugged first Gen then Jake then Gen again, Brushing stray hairs away from Gen’s face, “You must indulge me a few mother’s tears. My baby, my sweet girl. You’re all grown up. You’re sure?” 

Speaking in Hausa, she replied, “Na tabbata momma. Ina son shi sosai” (I’m sure momma. I love him so much.)

Choked up Henry said, “Then you have our blessing.” Turning to Jake he embraced the younger man, “Welcome to our family.”

Vika wiped her eyes and declared,

“Champagne! We must have champagne and make an announcement.”

Gen looked at Jake, “Are you okay with this? Should we wait until we talk to your father?”

Jake just smiled at her and said, “She’s dying to do this, let her have her moment. I’m going to visit pops tomorrow and if he isn’t too deep in his dementia, I’ll tell him, otherwise, I’ll wish him Happy Christmas and come home.”

“Jake, why don’t you come back over tomorrow after visiting your father. We can have brunch and open gifts and spend a quiet family Christmas together.”

“That sounds great Mrs. Njoku. I’ll put something together to bring.”

“Please you must call me Vika or mum if you wish.”

Jake stepped over and kissed her cheek. “Thanks. I never knew my mum, she left just weeks after I was born, said she never wanted to be a mum. It was always just me and pops. I think it will be nice to have a mum for the first time.”

“Oh you sweet boy.” She said hugging him close. With that she and Henry hurried to the head of the banquet and ordered champagne be circulated to the guests.

Once everyone had a glass, Henry stepped up to the microphone and announced, “Everyone! We have some wonderful news to share. Tonight we have more to celebrate. Genevieve, Jake please join us.” Once they stood with her parents, Henry continued, “This evening, Jake asked for our blessing to propose to our daughter...and she said yes!” Cheers and clapping went on for some time. “Let’s all raise our glasses to the newly engaged couple, Jake and Genevieve! May you have many happy years together!”

Everyone drank and cheered once again. Henry hugged Jake close and then kissed Gen on the forehead.

Big T called them out to the dance floor “For a special occasion, you gotta go for the queen!” Gen and Jake this is for you!” He played I Believe in You and Me by Whitney Houston. 

_ I believe in you and me _ _   
_ _ I believe that we will be _ _   
_ _ In love eternally _ _   
_ _ As far as I can see _ _   
_ _ You will always be _ _   
_ _ The one for me _ _   
_ _ Oh yes you will _

_ I believe in dreams again _ _   
_ _ I believe that love will never end _ _   
_ _ And like the river finds the sea _ _   
_ _ I was lost now I'm free _ _   
_ _ I believe in you and me _

_ I will never leave your side _ _   
_ _ I will never hurt your pride _ _   
_ _ When all the chips are down _ _   
_ _ I will always be around _ _   
_ _ Just to be right there where you are my love _ _   
_ _ Oh I love you boy _

Nicky looked at Beth, “Shall we?”

She blushed prettily putting her hand in his. He led her on the dance floor and they moved together as if they’d been dancing for years. He leaned down and sang in her ear

_ I will never leave you out _ _   
_ _ I will always let you in _ _   
_ _ To places no one's ever been _ __   
_ Deep inside can't you see _ _   
_ _ I believe in you and me _ __.

“You have an amazing voice. I could listen to you all night.” 

“I’ll sing for you anytime you want.”

He leaned down and kissed her softly. When he raised his head she asked

“If you’re not too busy, do you want to come over for brunch with the family?”

“I’d love to.”

She made a mental note to change her flight. She could leave later and still make her appointment with the commission right? She really didn’t need to be there until after New Year’s. With that decision made Beth smiled and snuggled into his arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wasn't planning on Jake proposing until later in the story, but he was adamant that it be on Christmas Eve! I had so much fun writing Beth and Nicky's first kiss! As always, if you have comments or critiques please let me know I welcome them all, and if you are enjoying the story drop me a message or a kudos! :)


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